Boxing Day traditions to do with the family

What is boxing day?

Before we dive into Boxing Day traditions, we should look at what Boxing Day is in the first place. In recent times, Boxing Day has become known as a day for going out to do some shopping. There are a lot of Boxing Day sales in the UK, with most retailers offering discounts on products. Most offer anywhere between 10% off to 70% off! But the origins of Boxing Day are quite different.

The 26^th of December became ‘Boxing Day’ because it was the day that alms boxes were given to the poor. These boxes were kept in churches during the Middle Ages and would be filled with donations. It later became the day that landowners would give gifts to those who worked/lived on their land. Then it became a day off for servants so they could celebrate Christmas with their own families. Overtime, these traditions have faded out, with new traditions taking their place. Boxing Day now tends to feature sports games like horse racing and football.

Boxing Day dip

If you still want to contribute to those less fortunate, you can still donate to charities. There’s no better way to do so than by raising the money yourself. The Boxing Day dip has become one of the most well-known Boxing Day traditions. It’s biggest is organised by the Lions Club of Sunderland, UK. Participants, often in fancy dress, rush into the sea for a very chilly swim to raise money for charities. This is a great way to have fun with your family and do something good for those who need help.

Donations

If you want Boxing Day traditions that are still helpful but don’t require getting so cold, you could donate. Spend the day with your family going through old toys and clothes that you no longer want or need. Then take them to charity shops or shelters. There will always be someone else who can benefit from what you no longer need. You could even take blankets to animal shelters.

Family time

One of the best Boxing Day traditions you can do with your family is simply spending time with them. You likely have leftovers from the day before, so there’s no stressful cooking to be done. Dish out the leftovers and enjoy a nice meal with your loved ones. You could even visit or invite other family members round. Perhaps those that you do not see as often. Maybe your aunty likes to host a second Christmas dinner so you and your cousins can all get together.

Then in the evening, put on a Christmas film and enjoy a hot chocolate whilst snuggled up on the sofa. There’s no better time to be grateful for your loved ones, so spend it with them and make magical memories.

Snowball fight/snowman building competition

One of our Boxing Day traditions is more suited for the competitive families out there. If you live somewhere that gets a lot of snow at Christmas, why not make it a competition? You could split the family into teams for a snowball fight to see who the warriors in the family are. Then once the war is done, opt for a more peaceful battle of who can build the best snowman. Perhaps the winners can get the bigger slices of Yule log once you retire to the warmth of your home.

Volunteering

Since Boxing Day’s origins revolve around giving back, why not get the family together for some volunteering? There are plenty of food banks and charities that could do with some extra hands. Many vulnerable adults have no family to spend Christmas with. But there are community projects in place to help them feel less lonely this Christmas. It will mean the world to them to be able to enjoy a Christmas dinner with those of their community. Help serve them dinners, participate in games like bingo, and simply enjoy time with those that are often forgotten about.

Reading

We are big on reading and learning at Santa Academy. So, we suggest reading a book as one of your Boxing Day traditions. Cuddling up with your little ones to enjoy a book can be a nice way to relax. As well as enjoying each other’s company. Not to mention you get to enjoy a great story too! We have a few books suitable for Boxing Day below:

• The First Boxing Day by James L. Orwin
• What Does Santa Do on Boxing Day? By Becky Plenderleith and Allan Plenderleith
• December Holidays From Around the World by Baby Professor.

We hope that you now have a few Boxing Day traditions to enjoy with your family. Try to remember what Christmas and Boxing Day are all about, and spread kindness!

Need ideas for activities?

Finding activities to do with kids can sometimes be a challenge. If you are looking for ideas, we have more at Santa Academy. Our app launches in November 2022! You can download several activities from our activity packs. We have several to choose from, inspired by our different factions. You can learn how to care for pets and practice PE with Reindeer Recruits. Learn how plastic damages the environment and how different cultures celebrate Christmas with Fairy Fellows. Make slime and candy with Elf Ed!

Keep up with Santa Academy

You can find new stories every day on the Lacus Herald! Your little one can stay up to date with all their favourite characters, as well as the latest news. At Santa Academy, your little one can join Reindeer Recruit, Fairy Fellow or enrol into Elf Ed! Lacus Island features 70+ characters, 50+ buildings, 19 unique shops and its own TV and radio stations.

Lacus Herald

Many children have missed out on their learning due to the pandemic. We know how crucial it is to help kids catch up. That was one of the reasons for launching our learning resources. Our resources aim to keep kids reading and give families something they can enjoy together.

We know our resources have been a great help to those home-schooling children. So, we are not stopping there! On the Lacus Herald, we will be publishing stories and news updates daily. Your kids can catch up with their favourite characters and continue their learning in a fun environment. Designed to be enjoyed by the whole family.

Santa Academy – The Novel

In 2022, our author Jill will be releasing her first novel through Hudson Publishing Company. The novel will feature many of the lovable and hilarious characters many are now familiar with. You and your kids will love reading along to uncover the origins of Christmas. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay up to date with news and releases!

Find more fun, festive tips and ideas, such as:

• Easy Christmas crafts for kids
• Christmas printables
• Things to do near you for Christmas
• Christmas activity book ideas
• Christmas art ideas
• Christmas party ideas for kids
• Tips for helping kids to read
• Christmas baking for kids
• Christmas countdown ideas for your family
• Christmas writing ideas
• And many more!