The first week-day after Christmas-day, observed as a holiday on which post-men, errand-boys, and servants of various kinds expect to receive a Christmas-box. So also Boxing-night, Boxing-time.
1849. G. Soane, New Curios. Lit., II. 317. The feast of Saint Stephen is more generally known amongst us as Boxing-Day.
1871. Hood’s ‘Comic Ann.,’ 59. It was the Saturday before the Monday Boxing Night.
1877. Peacock, N. Linc. Gloss. (E. D. S.), Boxing-time, any time between Christmas-day, and the end of the first week in January.
1884. C. D. Warner, in Harper’s Mag., Dec., 9/1. In consequence of the multiplicity of business on Christmas-day, the giving of the Christmas-boxes was postponed to the 26th, St. Stephen’s Day, which became the established Boxing-day.
