In Canada today is Boxing Day. I have always assumed it was just a day to start boxing up all of the Christmas decorations - and I was surprised they extended their official holidays to include that activity; but when I searched online I learned that it started in countries associated with the British Empire as a special day to give gifts to the staff of Britain's upper class. That was a surprise.
It does make sense. The household staff would have been totally immersed in making the Christmas celebrations perfect for the Master and Mistress of the house - with little thought to their own hopes and dreams. So, I am truly pleased to find out that it was initiated as a way to be kind to others - to those who served.
Now it has morphed into a day to go out and find bargains - and it appears what it started out as has been lost.
That is true of so many things.
As for being the second day of Christmas, we are in another period of anticipation, this time to honor the visitation of the entourage of wisemen - but in Jesus' day, they had no way of knowing they would experience such a visit.
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