Boxing Day, 2014

After the Christmas Eve dinner and the Christmas Day lunch, we were not done with the Christmas celebrations because Boxing Day needed to be celebrated as well.

Christmas Bush

Christmas Bush

Boxing Day is an English tradition dating back to the days of Queen Victoria.  Back then the more affluent people would box up all their Christmas Day leftovers and deliver them to poor people so they could share in the celebrations.  The day came to be known as ‘Boxing Day’ and became so important that in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and other countries, Boxing Day is a public holiday.

Beautiful hydrangeas and Elsie likes to sit on the top of the couch

Beautiful hydrangeas and Elsie likes to sit on the top of the couch

Boxing Day in Australia is celebrated in a casual and much less formal day than Christmas Day.  Many people go on picnics and thousands head to the waterways and beaches where Christmas Day leftovers are traditionally eaten while relaxing and unwinding under the full heat of the summer’s sun.

Decorations

Decorations

Our Boxing Day celebrations were held at my parents’ home with just a few less numbers than we had on Christmas Day.  The grandchildren played in the pool while the adults sat around on reclining chairs talking about what a lovely Christmas it had been.

The tree

The tree

Meanwhile, a glazed leg of ham sizzled away on the bar-be-cue while we relaxed with a glass of champagne.

Glazed ham cooked in the BBQ

Glazed ham cooked in the BBQ

The table was casually set and the ham was sliced and served on a platter with baguettes and a variety of condiments.

Ready to serve

Ready to serve

Baguettes

Baguettes

Take your pick

Take your pick

Rocket for a bit of greenery

Rocket for a bit of greenery

After the lunch we enjoyed a selection of sweet treats.  Millie had made Christmas shortbread in a variety of shapes and also some florentines.

Shortbread

Shortbread

Florentines

Florentines

There was store-bought nougat and some gorgeous chocolates Em had bought while in Paris on a business trip.

Nougat

Nougat

Christmas chocolates from Paris

Christmas chocolates from Paris

After several hours of fun in the pool, the children dried themselves off and opened their little stockings that are hung for them every year and are filled with little trinkets.

Stockings

Stockings

Yes, it was another day of over-eating but a good day at that.

Do you celebrate Boxing Day?

Comments

  1. What a lovely relaxing Boxing Day. I think it is important to spend the day with family, and it’s great because everything is casual. We used to take turns having Boxing Day with all my mother’s side of the family (loads of cousins) but that was much easier when everyone lived on the Northern Beaches. Now the older generation have gone and others moved away it has stopped, such a shame. Your Christmas bush is gorgeous, makes me homesick! Happy New Year and all the best for 2015!

  2. Yet another day of food, glorious food. Everything looks so lovely.

    Have a great New Year’s Day.

  3. I miss being surrounded by family at the holidays…. we used to always spend Boxing Day (my birthday) with my mum and dad… may they rest in peace. A lovely post, Charlie. Happy New Year!

  4. Boxing Day is so much more relaxing because the craziness leading up the Christmas is all over. Here we have crazy sales and everyone packs out the shops. That’s one very good reason to stay away.
    Those chocolates look amazing.
    Happy New Year!

  5. i love boxing day. so great to have the madness of xmas all done with, and we can just relax and eat the left overs. bliss! happy new year.

  6. Everything is so lovely about this post–the food, the decor, the traditions, the weather…

    Happy Boxing Day!

  7. I do like the idea of Boxing Day stockings. Why limit all the fun to Christmas!

  8. Another perfect meal, Charlie. Unless entertaining, I can’t justify buying a whole ham just for me, the only non-vegetarian in my family. But oh, I do love a good ham, and this one looks perfect. Wishing you and your family a healthy, happy, and peace-filled 2015.

  9. Oh, what a lovely family (extended) Christmas you have had Charlie – love those Paris chocolates and how Em had obviously got letters to spell Christmas:) Bet they were delicious!

  10. What a delicious meal! We don’t celebrate Boxing Day, but I’m always looking for a good reason to celebrate and eat and this sounds like a great one!

  11. What a lovely relaxing day Charlie. It sounds like the perfect way to extend Christmas just a little bit more before heading back into the Real World 🙂 Happy New Year sweetie, from my home and family to yours! Xox

  12. John’s family left on Boxing Day and I hit the sofa. I was determined that I’d never cook again. 🙂

    I’d changed my mind by sundown.

    Happy New Year! Looks like a wonderful holiday with your family.

  13. Looks like you had a wonderful Boxing Day. The ham is fabulous! When I was a child, we used to have a fancy Boxing Day lunch with my great aunt and her widowed next door neighbour, but since they’ve been gone, we don’t really do anything on Boxing Day.

  14. Wow what a celebration you make of it. There’s nothing like dragging out the holiday. You will certainly need those elastic pants after those three days of elaborate dining.
    Carolyn

  15. Nice, you forgot the Cricket on Boxing Day!!

  16. We celebrate Boxing Day in Canada too and it’s a National Holiday here too. Traditionally the stores weren’t open for business but lately commercialism has overrun us and stores open really early to try to sell off everything that’s left over from Christmas. There were some deals to be had but I stay away like the plague since it’s always so busy. We went away for s little get a away instead.

  17. Hi Charlie, boxing day sounds like a wonderful holiday, so nice to have special time with family and friends.

  18. I think the Boxing Day traditions are great fun and I often wish we did celebrate in the US. But if I’m completely honest, I don’t think I could handle one more big event. That was one gorgeous ham! I am enjoying your outdoor photos and relishing in your summer, while we are uncharacteristically quite cold here. New Years Eve was the coldest Los Angeles temperature in more than 50 years and it snowed in some places not far from our home. It made it very easy just to stay indoors and to get caught up on some after-Christmas rest! You do know how to have a good party, Charlie!

  19. iT looks that you had lots of fun with your family! All of these food dishes makes me very hungry too! A lovely feast,…Yum yum Yummm!

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