Q 01/05

How does the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 define the UK's Boxing Day bank holiday?

A) Simply as 'Boxing Day'

B) As '26th December, if it be not a Sunday'

C) As 'the Feast of Saint Stephen'

D) As 'the first weekday after Christmas Day'

Answer · why

B) As '26th December, if it be not a Sunday'

The Act never uses the name Boxing Day at all.

Q 02/05

Boxing Day originated in which country?

A) The United States

B) The United Kingdom

C) Australia and NZ

D) Canada and Bermuda

Answer · why

B) The United Kingdom

It spread from Britain to many Commonwealth nations.

Q 03/05

Boxing Day was traditionally a day for doing what?

A) Watching prizefights in the town square

B) Giving gifts to the needy and to servants

C) Boxing up the Christmas decorations

D) Returning unwanted presents to shops

Answer · why

B) Giving gifts to the needy and to servants

The custom of tipping tradesmen with a 'Christmas box' was already recorded in Samuel Pepys's diary in 1663.

Q 04/05

One theory traces the name to a church box opened the day after Christmas. What kind of box?

A) A collection plate for the choir

B) An alms box for the poor

C) A reliquary of the saint

D) A ballot box for the vestry

Answer · why

B) An alms box for the poor

Alms boxes tied to the Feast of Saint Stephen were opened and the money distributed to the poor.

Q 05/05

Which diarist mentioned tradesmen collecting 'Christmas boxes' in an entry for 19 December 1663?

A) Samuel Pepys

B) John Evelyn

C) Daniel Defoe

D) Jonathan Swift

Answer · why

A) Samuel Pepys

Servants who worked Christmas Day were sent home the next day with a box of gifts, bonuses and leftovers.