When is Boxing Day?

Boxing Day is celebrated on the day after Christmas. For 2017, Boxing Day lands on Monday, December 26th. Folks often ask if Boxing Day is a stat holiday and the truth is that it really depends on where you are in Canada. In Ontario, Boxing Day is a statutory holiday, with federal and bank employees also getting the day as a statutory holiday. For other provinces and territories, it's not a stat holiday. The good news is that regardless of where you find yourself on Boxing Day this year, you can find stellar deals online, country-wide. In recent years, retailers have even extended the holiday to include week-long savings, re-dubbing it "Boxing Week," and ending right around New Year's Eve.

What is Boxing Day?

The origin of Boxing Day is largely unknown. In the 19th century, it was charitable holiday where tradesmen, servants, and those in need would be given a "Christmas Box" of assorted gifts, money, and sometimes food on the day after Christmas. Going back further to the middle ages, some have related the tradition to Alms' Boxes, where donations would be collected and distributed to the poor in relation to the religious holiday St. Stephen's Day.

In its current form, Boxing Day is a shopping holiday celebrated by most Commonwealth countries, like Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Like the American holiday Black Friday, on Boxing Day, many retailers will not only extend their hours, opening their doors as early as 5 am, they also drop their prices and offer impressive door crashers. Though it can be a hectic shopping experience with shoppers lining up in the early hours of the morning and braving the crowds, we are firm supporters of staying in browsing the insane deals available online. We will be posting them all right here, so stay tuned!