Friday, December 26, 2008

Happy Boxing (not Boxers) Day

How did the bank holiday in England acquire its curious name? According to a letter to the NY Times from an Anglophile reader in 1902, on the day after Christmas "the letter carriers, lamp lighters, messengers, and newspaper boys and others apply to householders for Christmas gratuities…presented in boxes." A hundred years later, most Brits know Boxing Day as the day sales start. Except when Christmas falls on a Saturday. Then the holiday is observed on Monday, as in 2004 when this Harvey Nichols ad ran. Ladies, take your corners.

DDB London, photographer Ben Stockley, via Ads of the World

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

My significant other always wants to tip the mail carrier at Christmas. I say "they get a salary, healthcare, and a pension after 20 years that you and I WON'T get. Give him some cookies instead."

Don't know if I'm being callous, but they don't seem to have it bad off for high school graduates.

Ad Broad, oldest working writer in advertising said...

Good point. But given the cost of bakery items these days, Auntie, you may as well give the $$. ;)