December 26 is a national holiday in England and Canada.
I wonder why we don't have this day on our calendars.
M.

http://www.crystalinks.com/boxingday.html

Mari,



i did not know the story.

i grew up in a country of the British Commonwealth where we had Boxing Day, and i suspect it is observed only in Commonwealth countries, and perhaps not all of them. The US is not part of the Commonwealth, which is probably why it's not on US calendars. It's not on the calendars here either, lol.

Here the 26th is still a celebrated festivity and public holiday however, it being St. Stephen's Day... "Good King Wenceslas looked out... on the Feast of Stephen..." - know the carol?

However, St. Stephen's Day is observed always ON the 26th and, in terms of being a public holiday, it is NOT pushed forward to the next working day if it falls on a weekend the way that is done in countries that observe the Boxing Day tradition for the 26th.

Another one i wanted to post about but... who knows... anyway what the heck... it's in NOVEMBER lol, but...

Guy Fawke's Day... about a guy who tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London ... on November 5th. Celebrations sometimes included burning an effigy of Guy Fawkes but always fireworks. that's what i remember as a kid... the fireworks everywhere in the neighborhood, before they "became" dangerous and illegal and whatnot.

and fwiw http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes_Night

Waves,

That is pretty cool that St. Stephen gets a public holiday.

On years that the 25th and the 26th fall during the week, the public holiday is two days in countries who celebrate both like yours. We don't have a situation like that here. The closest two day holiday we have, as you know, is Thanksgiving and the Friday after it. But officially, the banks and gov offices are still open Friday.


Yeah, and I don't understand Guy Fawke's Day at all. Why remember a guy who tried to blow up one of the houses of gov?

You live in a land that perfected fireworks. Are they restricted where you are too? One year, I remember city fireworks were cancelled on the 4th of July because of concern about wind.
I don't think cities would have done that in the past.

M.