Tom's partner Etienne and his wife Elsie invited us to celebrate Boxing Day the day after Christmas. We were pleased to be included even though we're not particularly big fans of boxing. We very quickly learned that Boxing Day is a national public holiday celebrated every year on December 26. Its name came from an old English tradition when employers boxed gifts for their workers the day after Christmas. The gifts may have been presents they received but didn't want, so they re-boxed the gifts and passed them on.
Today, as in the US, Boxing Day is the start of the post-Christmas bargain shopping season. It's also another excuse for Kiwis to gather for food and drink with family and friends. We had a terrific time at Etienne and Elsie's beautiful home - overlooking Lake Okareka. They organized a big group of friends who brought "plates" (pot luck) and wine and spirited conversation. We exchanged names and phone numbers and look forward to spending more time with our new group of friends.
Did you get any good gifts? I spent Boxing Day driving (uneventfully, you'll be happy to know) from Plano to Houston. Good thing I didn't go to a Boxing Day party... I want to keep all of the gifts I received (except maybe those extra pounds from the Christmas roast).
ReplyDeleteGood job of keeping all of us in the "loop"!
ReplyDeleteWe are getting ready for New Years!
Cheers
D and S