Boxing means boxing. On hearing this word, the name of Mary Kom or Vijender Singh comes to mind. 26th December to worldwide Boxing Day It is celebrated but it has nothing to do with boxing. People celebrate this day happily on 25th December i.e. after Christmas. There is a public holiday on this date in foreign countries.
no boxing on boxing day
The game of boxing is very interesting but Boxing Day has no connection with it. Box means box in English. On this day people donate things by keeping things in boxes. This day started from Britain and today this day is celebrated by Commonwealth countries which also includes India. On this day, people keep things in boxes outside the church so that the needy people can use them. In western countries like Britain, Canada, America, this day is called Boxing Day, but in Europe this day is celebrated as Saint Stephen’s Day. Saint Stephen was a saint. He was the first Christian who was martyred.
Custom started from ancient Rome
In ancient Rome, boxes were kept outside the church, in which people used to put money. Whatever money was in that box, it was distributed among the poor. In the 17th century it was called a Christmas box. Boxing Day is a day to thank God that Lord Jesus Christ made him capable of helping the needy.
In western countries, people do a lot of shopping on this day and also get discounts (Image-Canva)
Christmas boxes were given to servants in England
english writer Samuel Pepy He mentioned the Christmas box in his diary on 19 December 1663. He wrote that there was a custom of traders in Britain. He used to deposit money in a Christmas box on the day after Christmas to donate his good earnings throughout the year. In ancient Britain, wealthy people had many servants who were not given leave on Christmas Day. Therefore, their masters used to send them to their homes on 26th December and along with it, each servant was given a box containing a gift, bonus or food.
Cricket is played on this day in Australia
Today the Boxing Day Test is played in Melbourne, Australia. This is not a boxing match but a cricket match. People in Australia are crazy about cricket. There is a tradition of playing cricket here on Boxing Day since 1950. This day is a holiday in Australia and there is an atmosphere of celebration all around. In such a situation, Boxing Day Test is a gift for cricket lovers. This time there was a competition between India and Australia team. People were so excited for this match that all its tickets were sold out 2 weeks in advance.
Boxing is played in Africa
On 26 December, matches of different sports take place all over the world. Football matches take place on this day in Britain and Italy. Rich people also do horse racing in England. People of America and Britain also consider this day as hunting day and go out into the forests on this special day. Ice hockey is played on this day in Switzerland. Actually, at this time there is snow there and people double the fun of this day by playing ice hockey. Although the countries of Africa are different from the rest of the world. On Boxing Day, boxing matches are held in Guyana, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia according to the name of this day. Boxing matches are played on this day in many places in India also.
Tsunami occurred on 26 December in 2004, hence this day is also called ‘The Boxing Day Tsunami’ (Image-Canva)
Boxing keeps the body fit
Fitness coach Rahul Sood says that boxing is not only a game but also a workout. Nowadays many celebrities do boxing to keep themselves fit. This strengthens the muscles of the entire body and improves blood circulation. This workout brings glow to the skin. With this cardio workout, weight also reduces rapidly. A punching bag is used in this, so before punching it is necessary to wear gloves to protect the nerves of the hands. Boxing removes toxins from the body and this workout keeps away stress and depression, which keeps mental health healthy.
Boxing is far behind in India
In India, people know boxing only as boxing. This is a very old game. It got the status of a sport after the Bombay Presidency Amateur Boxing Federation was formed in 1925, but India got its place in this sport in the world only after 2000. Indian boxer Mary Kom became the first woman to win a gold medal in the Asian Games. She was a six-time winner in World Amateur Boxing. Apart from him, Vijender Singh brought glory to India in boxing. But still this sport is far behind in India. Including Olympic Games, World Boxing Championship, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Asian Championship, India has won only 305 medals till 2024. The biggest reason for this is that in our country this game is not promoted as much as cricket is. People also like to watch and play cricket. At the same time, boxing players do not get the necessary resources.
Tags: Boxing Day Test, english football association, european union, IND vs AUS Boxing Day Test, India vs Australia, Merry Christmas
FIRST PUBLISHED: December 26, 2024, 14:27 IST
