Have you ever left out a Christmas gift or "tip" for the delivery person who comes to your house? Traditionally Boxing Day was the day when tradespeople and apprentices received their tips which they collected in clay moneyboxes. Thus came the seemingly strange name of Boxing Day.
Things to do
- Keep a list of your gifts and who gave them to you so you can write thank you notes later.
- Sing a song...
Good King Wenceslas - John Mason Neale
Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gath'ring winter fuel
"Hither, page, and stand by me
If thou know'st it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes' fountain."
"Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear him thither."
Page and monarch forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather
"Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, my good page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly."
In his master's steps he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing
- Read a story...
King Wenceslas
In the 10th century in Czechoslovakia (then known as Bohemia) the King and Queen were Christians. When the King died, their son Wratislav became king but he died after only a short reign. Unfortunately his son, Wenceslas, was only 12 years old and too young to become king so his mother, Queen Drahomira, sent Wenceslas and his brother to live with their grandmother. Queen Drahomira was an ambitious woman and tried everything in her power to keep Wenceslas from Christian teaching.
However, at 18 years of age, Wenceslas became King and ruled as a wise and caring Christian King until his mother, brother and embittered noblemen plotted to murder him. He was only 22 when he died but from his short reign stories about miracles performed by him have lived on. The one we know best is told in the carol "Good King Wenceslas" about his kindness to a peasant and to his page.
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