December 26th is the traditional Boxing Day in some countries. The United Kingdom is the best known to students of this holiday's history, the earliest mention being Samuel Pepy's diary entry for December 19,1663, that very same diary in which he described fondling a maid's breasts, acting like a seventeenth century Harvey Weinstein with another and keeping track of his masturbating.   
	Boxing Day has nothing to do with boxing, the manly art of self-defense, or assembling corrugated cartons. In a couple of African countries and in Italy there are boxing matches but why quibble?  
	One of the lesser known figures of Boxing Day is from the tenth century: Good King Wenceslas. The Feast of Stephen, or St Stephen's Day,  is on December 26. The lyrics to the carol as published by John Mason Neale in 1853:  Good King Wenceslas looked out 
	On the Feast of Stephen When the snow lay round about 
	Deep and crisp and even 
	Brightly shone the moon that night 
	Though the frost was cruel 
	When a poor man came in sight 
	Gathering winter fuel
 
	Hither, page, and stand by me, 
	If thou knowst it, telling 
	Yonder peasant, who is he? 
	Where and what his dwelling? 
	Sire, he lives a good league hence, 
	Underneath the mountain 
	Right against the forest fence 
	By Saint Agnes fountain.
 
	Bring me flesh and bring me wine 
	Bring me pine logs hither 
	Thou and I shall see him dine 
	When we bear them thither. 
	Page and monarch, forth they went 
	Forth they went together 
	Through the rude winds wild lament 
	And the bitter weather
 
	Sire, the night is darker now 
	And the wind blows stronger 
	Fails my heart, I know not how 
	I can go no longer. 
	Mark my footsteps, good my page 
	Tread thou in them boldly 
	Thou shall find the winters rage 
	Freeze thy blood less coldly.
 
	In his masters step he trod 
	Where the snow lay dinted 
	Heat was in the very sod 
	Which the Saint had printed 
	Therefore, Christian men, be sure 
	Wealth or rank possessing 
	Ye, who now will bless the poor 
	Shall yourselves find blessing.
 
	Good King Wenceslas assisted the poor. Although Wenceslas was, during his lifetime, only a duke, Holy Roman Emperor Otto (which is "toot" inside out) posthumously elevated him to king which is which is why e refer to him as a king to this day. But why quibble?  
	The practice evolved to giving to the poor, then to servants a box containing gifts and food as a reward for faithful service and then into giving tradesmen a box as a tip.    
	Former British colonies often celebrate Boxing Day as a national holiday. In Bermuda, Gombeys dance in a 18th century tradition of slaves being permitted to gather to celebrate Christmas. It is also a sporting day for soccer and a shopping day similar to our Black Friday ... but who knows?