The Day After Christmas
BOSTON (CBS) - The day after Christmas is always so anticlimactic. The buzz- the excitement all gone. No one wishing you a Merry Christmas.
Everyone who is out is intent on completing a mission. They have presents to return or they are trying to get just one more good deal. But I couldn't bear to fight the crowds and parking today no matter how great the half price bargains are.
Besides, today is another holiday so I am celebrating. Being Irish my grandparents celebrated whenever we had an opportunity. Today is Saint Stephen's Day in Ireland but mostly it's known as Boxing Day. Check it out on your calendars and you will find the small print declaring it Boxing Day.
This is a national holiday in some countries, the UK, Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand but unfortunately not here. In Poland, Germany and the Netherlands it's the Second Christmas Day. Having two days off for Christmas sounds good to me.
The name, Boxing Day, does not come from that pile of now empty boxes you need to either put in the attic or recycle. And it is not two boxers punching it out in a ring. Why do they call that square with a fence around it a ring I wonder?
One story of the origin of Boxing Day was that well-off gentry would box up items for the less fortunate and distribute them the day after Christmas.
So today I plan to spend the day organizing closets and cupboards to see what we can give to the Goodwill. At our home we have a policy, if you get something new something old must go.
So if you got two great new sweaters two old ones need to go to the Goodwill. Drop off your stuff at one of the Centers and get a receipt for the items you are donating. It's a deduction for this year.
Cleaning closets is greatly enhanced by a hot toddy or some mulled cider.
