That Time Of Year Again!
Halloween’s over, the shops are discounting the now old Halloween stock and the shelfs are filling with all things Christmas. Mind you, I ve seen mince pies on sale in supermarkets since the beginning of September. This reminds me of an acquaintance of mine who informed me she’d been hoarding food for several months including many packs of mince pies in readiness for Christmas. I pointed out that mince pies are not just for Christmas and she should check the use by dates. I always wondered if those mince pies were enjoyed as part of the Christmas festivities. Anyway, it’s that time of year again!
The festive period is a huge deal and joy to some, for example my colleague Verity who’s so besotted with all things Christmas has her decorations up by the end of October. But, some find it a bit of a Groundhog Day. Many decide on a getaway for the festive period is a must by locating abroad for a sun-kissed break or to an idyllic UK cottage magically decorated with a cosy wood burning.
Every year I tend to work up to 1pm on Christmas Eve as many of my clients still like to leave their treatments to the last minute. For the first time last year I was back on the road with my spa-by-car service on Boxing Day morning for a family on a stay and pamper break. It’s was a great atmosphere with general chit-chat and a discussion regarding the meaning of Boxing Day came-up. We all agreed it had something to do with sport or wrapping presents. After searching the internet one of the guests stumbed across an article ‘Why is it called Boxing Day? You asked Google – here’s the answer’ from a 2016 Guardian article I became educated as to the actual meaning of this bank holiday. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/dec/26/why-is-it-called-boxing-day
The article puts right my wrong thinking that Boxing Day has to do with sport and boxing it actually has more to do with charitable acts on the day. Christmas boxes dispensed by the church in middle-ages to the poor and opened on the day after Christmas in honour of St Stephen’s feast is recognised. Although there is suggestions that this tradition went further back to Roman times. The Victorian’s looked into this in more detail and St Stephen’s Day was marked as a bank holiday in 1871. As part of the tradition some employers gave Christmas boxes to their employees and domestic staff given the day off to visit family with leftover food.
As the writer of the article points out nowadays that tradition of employers giving their staff a Christmas box is declining. I remember receiving hampers from some employers many years ago. I guess this gesture stopped when money became tight for employers, or gifting was no longer tax deductible.
Fast forward to today and Boxing Day is a welcome extension for people to eat, drink, relax and be merry and hopefully partake in charitable actions in the season of goodwill to all men.
If you’d like to book us for a Christmas stay and pamper or just the pamper session on boxing Day, Contact us for details.
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