As a child I loved calendars. I would quickly read each one like a new released novel. Many holidays were marked for their religious association, but one always puzzled me. Boxing Day. Why marked for Canada and the UK? Did they have a love for boxing as a sport? Did Mohammad Ali (Cassius Clay) move these countries to have a day just for the professional sport of boxing?
I was baffled.
It wasn’t until years later that I learned Boxing Day was a gift. This day focuses on giving of things that are no longer needed in our own lives to those who are needy. Christmas presents have been opened and the new rug replaces the old. Where does the old rug go? It is serviceable and still ready for years of use. Goodwill, Salvation Army, or many of the regional stores that take used goods and make them available to those who need but otherwise could not afford.
Boxing Day is not just a gift to those who need, it is a gift to ourselves. Our homes can easily become too cluttered with “stuff” just from the sport of shopping, but one thing we can give to ourselves is knowing we have made someone’s home a warmer place by recycling goods that are still useable. Your replaced sweaters have wrapped another from the cold of the season, your pots and pans have provided a warm meal, your mittens and hats have clothed a growing child for their trek to school and home again.
Don’t let those cupboards, shelves, closets or rooms become overburdened with storing the neglected items from our lives. Grab a box, the one that just brought an order to your door will do, fill it with items you have outgrown, no longer need or use, then take the whole to your local charity for dispersing into the community. Some churches take collections so don’t overlook them as recycling points.
I can promise that a full box of household goods will help your heart grow warmer, and your life more conscious. Maybe your heart will even start to resemble a box and that is not a bad thing. Boxing Day is not just a gift for those in need, it is a gift we give ourselves.
May your life be lived as a conscious, generous and loving soul.
Cheers!
A few years ago, I looked up Boxing day as well, and thought it was a great idea. We started a new tradition that year. The day after Christmas, we all take the time to go through our things, and our rule of thumb is that you give away something that is of equal size or value, for each item you got for Christmas. Sometimes we donate to Goodwill or somewhere similar, but now we usually take items to our local battered women’s shelter. My children now look forward to “finding” clothes or toys that another child will enjoy, and for the third year in a row, our donations have far out-numbered the incoming presents! It just makes your heart happy to help out those in need!
They call that Golden Week in Japan. The whole country gets a bonus but are expected to spend it on big ticket items. The old stuff is then taken to the Gomi or trash pile and anyone who needs it can pick it up.
Sounds like a great thing for the people!