Yes! you heard it right Boxing-day is also celebrated after the next day of Christmas, which falls on 26th December. But the festival is only celebrated in a few countries; like it is ones historically related to the UK (such as Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand) and in several European countries. In Germany it is identified as "Zweite Feiertag” (which means 'second celebration') and also “Zweiter Weihnachtsfeiertag” which translates as Boxing Day (although it doesn’t literally mean that)!

It was originated in the UK about 800 years before, in the Middle Ages. It was the day when the alms box, collection boxes for the poor often kept in churches, were traditionally opened so that the contents could be distributed to poor people. Some churches still open these boxes on Boxing Day.

It might have been the Romans that first brought this type of collecting box to the UK, but they used them to collect money for the betting games which they played during their winter celebrations!In Holland, some collection boxes were made out of a rough pottery called 'earthenware' and were shaped like pigs. Perhaps this is where we get the term 'Piggy Bank'!

Boxing Day has now converted into another public holiday in countries like  UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It is also the traditional day that Pantomimes started to play. There are also sports played on Boxing Day in the UK, particularly horse racing and football matches! It's also when shops traditionally had big sales after Christmas in the UK (like Black Friday in the USA).