Boxing Day, the second day of Christmas, has nothing to do with sparring in a ring or with turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.
Boxing Day started in Victorian England when wealthy upper crusts with money and servants took church alms boxes up a notch or two by giving their hardworking staff a day off with boxes filled with the Christmas leftovers and some spare change. The recipients had catered to their masters throughout the year, and ironically had also prepared and served the victuals in their boxes of leftovers.
Before Black Friday spread around the world, December 26th was the biggest sales day of the year attracting hordes of shoppers to post-Christmas sales. But even before Boxing Day appeared, the second day of Christmas was widely known in the Christian world as the feast of St. Stephen, a martyr and first Christian saint. It was Good King Wenceslas who, in the carol, looked out on the feast of Stephen, when the snow lay round about deep and crisp and even. Wenceslas, a 10th century Bohemian king, is shown in the carol as being generous and kind to the poor. History shows that he also became a martyr and a saint.
Churches throughout the world are named after King Wenceslas and after St. Stephen. Two North Shore churches bear the name St. Stephen. There is St. Stephen’s Roman Catholic church in Lynn Valley where, in 1971, Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Margaret Sinclair were married.
Postcard shows the exterior of St. Stephen's church as well as photographs of details from the interior of the church. There is a photograph of a plaque that reads "In this church of St. Stephen on March 4, 1971, the RT. Hon. Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada and Margaret Joan Sinclair were joined in holy matrimony. The Rev. John Swinkels officiating." The postcard [verso] includes the following text: "St. Stephen's R.C. Church, Lynn Valley, North Vancouver, B.C. Site of the marriage of Canada's Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau." Inventory number: 16407. Courtesy of MONOVA/North Vancouver Archives
The other St. Stephen’s is an Anglican church in West Vancouver, described in the December 2024 Statement of Significance as, “an iconic Mid-Century Modern building situated on the border of the Dundarave and Ambleside villages of West Vancouver. Designed by the architecture firm Thompson, Berwick and Pratt, the church was built in 1967. The church is widely recognized as West Coast Modern in design given its reliance on exposed interior wood beams and cladding, and an exterior cedar shingle roof with glass infill panels which creates a strong patterning of solids and voids. With its dramatic geometric roof form, soaring interior space, and bold piercing of coloured glass, St Stephen’s is a superb example of Expressionism”.
Photograph of St. Stephen's Anglican Church, located at 885 22nd Street in West Vancouver. 1988. Inventory number: 2585-03-02.123.04.DWV. Courtesy of West Vancouver Archives
This impressive example of innovative architecture faces possible demolition to make way for future development. Today, the church no longer supports a parish or services. Demolition requires no imagination or innovation. Rather than St. Stephen’s becoming a martyr to development, with imagination, innovation and support of the community the space could be reimagined allowing the building to remain as a heritage gem in West Vancouver.
You can find an excellent and informative article about West Vancouver’s St Stephen’s here.
Neither St Stephen’s Day or Boxing Day are recognized holidays in British Columbia. But Boxing Day is a statutory holiday in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and in Canada (federally and in Ontario), but not in most other Canadian provinces, where it's a popular shopping day with many businesses closed but no legal requirement for paid time off for workers.
While early settlers to the North Shore arrived from many countries throughout the world, the majority in the early 1900s hailed from Britain. They brought with them their Christmas traditions that would have included Boxing Day. North Vancouver Archives has a collection of Christmas photos, some shown in this article. What is striking is that while so much has changed in the world in the past century, when it comes to Christmas so much remains familiar with Christmas trees, Christmas presents under the tree, children playing with their gifts, office parties and carol singing.
Christmas at the Cash home at 2421 Western Ave. Brian, Derek and David Cash opening presents. [195-]. Inventory number: 14342. Courtesy of MONOVA/North Vancouver Archives
Here on the wet, west coast, we all enjoy the occasional magical appearance of a white Christmas, when the snow lies round about deep and crisp and even.
Mr. W.J. Irwin with Margaret and Wallace in garden at 114 E. 15th St. Mrs. Katherine Irwin in front of house in background, Nov 10, 1911. Inventory number: 6966. Courtesy of MONOVA/North Vancouver Archives
What remains to be seen is if the in-store Boxing Day shopping tradition will survive much longer in the age of online shopping where good deals start on Black Friday, carry on through Cyber Monday and the Christmas shopping season too. By the time December 26th arrives, most people have ordered and received their discounted goods, and are probably not likely to get up early to get in line at their favourite electronics store. They are instead mostly likely sound asleep, in a post-turkey coma!
References:
St. Stephen’s Church Statement of Heritage Value -https://westvancouver.ca/sites/default/files/media/documents/St.%20Stephen%27s%20Church%20-%20885%2022nd%20Street.pdf