Boxing Day – England Meets San Antonio

By rerockstar • December 26th, 2009

Another holiday for me.

Well, Christmas is over and I had a blast. My wife and I spent the morning opening presents and then headed over to a friend’s house (an English couple we know) her in San Antonio for an amazing dinner and a great evening. I was absolutely spent by early evening (not to mention stuffed), but here I am gearing up for another day of festivities. Because my wife is English and we have quite a few friends from England who live in San Antonio, we also celebrate Boxing Day.

Boxing Day?

Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated in several countries, but little known here in the United States. Although Wikipedia gives a strong argument for where the holiday comes from, there are several theories and explanations. No matter where its roots lie, Boxing Day in England fascinated me when I would spend Christmas time with my wife’s family. The idea was pretty simple. Christmas was typically spent with the family. You opened presents, had Christmas dinner, and sat around all night drinking and talking. Not too dissimilar from a regular Christmas Day in San Antonio (minus the tamales). The next day, Boxing Day is where England got it right and we’ve been missing out.

On Boxing Day, you still eat tons and open presents and sit around and drink and talk and play games. Think of it as a less formal Christmas. The difference lies in who you do it with. This is a time when your friends pop round the house for a few bites of leftovers, a beer or a glass of wine (or homemade Bailey’s as we often do) and to drop off some gifts for you and your family. It’s a nice way for everyone to be able to spend the Christmas season with each other, without ruining their family’s plans.

Boxing Day, San Antonio style.

In that vein, my wife and I have celebrated Boxing Day since moving to San Antonio. Think of it as a colder weather Texas BBQ. We serve food, have plenty of beer iced up, and everyone’s comes over plays some games and has a great time. In just a short time from now, I will begin roasting two beautiful top round roasts, which I will then slice thin and put into au jus for some of the best roast beef sandwiches on earth (that a Philadelphia/Italian thing). Friends will bring over appetizers, snacks, and side dishes and we will once again be in the festive spirit.

No matter what your traditions, English or Texan…or wherever you might have roots, I still stand by the simple principle of relaxing, having fun, and enjoying time spent with your family and friends. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday!

photo courtesy of rfc1036