Boxing Day

For those of you who don't know - boxing day falls on December 26th, the day after Christmas. When I was young I would ask my dad, why it was called Boxing day - and he replied that it was the day where everyone liked to 'box' each other. OK - so that wasn't entirely or even partially true but as a child that reason was enough to suffice me at the time.

But it was an extra bank holiday day where families could still spend together after the holidays. Upon researching the exact origin of the term, it is somewhat unknown but seems to be related to the fact that on this day families would collect their gift boxes from the previous days. In addition, further back in history, it was a day in which servants were allowed the day off to visit their families and their employers would give them a 'box of leftovers' which they could take back to share with their families.

It is only recently that stores have begun to be open on Boxing day but when I was living there some 10 years ago, on Boxing day it was a day of 'holiday' and therefore nothing was open. I remember it being a little bit 'boring' because the stores weren't open, and it was the day after the excitement of Christmas.

In America the day after Christmas is the start of the sales just as it has begun to be in the UK. Stores open early and people rush from their families to the hustle and bustle of the stores to return/exchange items or just to catch a sale.

Bling Bling for an American Christmas

Christmas in America just as most things were slightly differently. It was on a whole different scale to what I was used to in England.
First of all - Christmas was introduced earlier. As early as November or earlier... christmas began to appear in the stores and even on TV. The day after thanksgiving marked the biggest shopping day in history - black friday as people uses the sales opportunity to shop for christmas gifts (a whole month prior to christmas). In addition sales continued until christmas prompting people to continue shopping.

The cold took a while to get here... and once the cold arrived, it was almost inevitable that christmas was around the corner. Although in Florida 'cold' meant 10 degrees C lol.

The word on everyone's lips was Christmas.... and it became 'a way of life' for a month...

Decorations, presents, colors, and festivities. It was everywhere.. and unlike London, it was not easy to escape.

The houses tended to be bigger here, and thus, the decorations of the houses was more elaborate, but not only that it was a contest - a contest to see who could decorate their house the best. And the display of christmas on one's home demonstrated their christmas spirit or lack of. Almost 95% of houses are decorated here in Florida. There is even a place you can go during christmas to walk-thru and look at the 'best decorated houses'. Its phenomenal.

The above pictures are pictures taken of houses and their decorations.... its magic after all... its christmas.

Christmas and all its bling....London

Christmas is Christmas no matter which country you live in... but the way in which it is celebrated, displayed and decorated can differ...

I remember growing up in London and I knew Christmas was coming not by the weather because it was cold sometimes as early as September... but I knew Christmas was coming by the gifts and the decorations in the 4 floors of Debenhams in the shopping centre I would often reside. The splash of red and green was the indication of Christmas that began to greet me faster than the month of December itself.
Shortly after that the festive colors would start to spread in other stores and then the bright colored light would appear as well as the multiplication of gifts being sold in the stores.
Decoration was minimal (to my memory), or at least compared to what I see now.

Some houses were decorated for the holidays with lights etc.

The best and most elaborate display of Christmas was the Christmas lights in the City of London, most specifically Regent Street etc... Huge department stores would be eloquently displayed with a story and a message. Twinkling colorful lights would be everywhere. I cannot illustrate the bright colors by just my descriptions alone so a picture is the only thing that would do it justice.

Above is a department store called 'The house of fraser' and lights have been showered over this building.

This picture shows the streets of Regent street with its illustrious display of color and christmas festivities. It is usually a tradition for someone of 'certain esteem' to be the one who switches the christmas lights annually.

I remember my parents taking my sister and I out one evening during the christmas season and we would sit in the backseat with a blanket wrapped over us and we would look at all the christmas lights. We never wanted to get out and see them though - it was too cold lol...

To me, this is part of the magic of christmas. The lights, the festivities, but most of all the traditions that we look forward to, and expect year to year.