Pop Quiz:

What is the meaning of Boxing Day?

a. It descends from an unfortunate custom of the middle ages, when most families were dirt poor, very large and could afford only one gift for all their children. Seriously, one gift; not one gift per child. Peace being the theme of Christmas, all the progeny enjoyed the gift equally, sharing magnanimously for that one day. But the day after Christmas, the kids duked it out to see who would claim the present.

b. It’s a new age holiday, referring to breaking down all the boxes your Christmas presents came in and recycling them. Haste makes waste, you know.

c. It refers to an old tradition of the aristocracy. The day after Christmas, the ladies and lords, the dukes and duchesses, les marquis et marquises, het markgraaf und markies, (ad nauseum) boxed up all of last season’s accessories and threw them on a bonfire. They needed to make sure the hoi polloi didn’t steal them.

d. No one has any idea. It is just a ploy by the UK and Canada to get another holiday.

e. While it is true that its origins are unknown, all plausible explanations point toward assisting the needy and those who serve. It is the traditional time for alms for the poor. So go ahead and give. Your time or your money, both work. There is a reason for the season.