The day after Christmas, the 26th of December, is called Boxing Day. The name goes back to medieval times when it was the day that church alms boxes were opened and the money distributed among the poor. In imitation of this church practice, workers, apprentices, and servants kept their own personal 'boxes' made of earthenware in which they stored savings and donations throughout the year. On Boxing Day, following what was normally the greatest flow of coins in the form of Christmas gifts, the box was broken open and the money counted. Some people still refer to giving 'Christmas boxes' to the postman, and others who provide a regular service.

Boxing Day is the old feast day of St Stephen, the patron saint of horses, and it has long been associated with outdoor sports such as hunting and horse racing. It was also the day for 'hunting the wren', which goes back to the druids of pagan times, who believed they could foretell the future by listening to the wren's song.