The Boxing Day Festival Events

The Boxing Day is a Christian holiday celebrated on December 26 by the Catholic Church and some Protestant churches, while the Orthodox Church celebrates December 27. On this day we remember St. Stephen, first Christian martyr or martyr.

Around the world

The Boxing Day is a national holiday in Austria, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Denmark, Catalonia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Romania. The reason for this holiday is not to be found in the importance of the first martyr of Christianity, but because the day after Christmas and then stretching the holiday season even more to solemnize the feast of the birth of the Savior.

It was the Italian state in 1947, to decide to make holiday the day after Christmas, while the first was a normal working day the Church remembers the first martyr, holy and very significant model for the faithful in the Catholic world, but also fair to say that December 26th was also a public holiday even if there was another fall festival. On Boxing Day, then, is a religious festival, as the Roman Missal, but there is no precept of the Mass, except Germany and other German-speaking countries.

In the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada celebrates the Boxing Day, that most of the year coincides with the feast of Santo Stefano (Boxing Day is celebrated on the first day after Christmas, unless it is Sunday, then or 26 or December 27).

Ireland

In Ireland, this day is called La Fhéile Stiofan or AN Dreoilín - the second name is the literal translation of another English name used, the Day of the Wren or Wren's Day When used in this context is often pronounced wren ran. This name alludes to some legends, including those that are told in Ireland linking episodes in the life of Jesus with the sparrow.

In some parts of Ireland persons bearing the image of a sparrow, or just taking a sparrow in a cage, go from house to house playing songs, dancing and singing. Depending on the region are called Wrenboys, or Strawboys Mummers.

The Boxing Day is the day when usually it is visiting relatives.

Catalonia

In Catalonia it is called Sant Esteve and is a holiday and the holiday is observed throughout Spain.

Serbia and Montenegro

St. Stephen is the patron saint of Serbia and Montenegro and on this day we celebrate the "Republic Day". In Serbia and Montenegro is celebrated on January 9 (according to the Gregorian calendar, which is what adopted internationally), as Serbia and Montenegro, adhering to the Orthodox Church, adopted the Julian calendar.

The Holy

St. Stephen is the first holy martyr in the New Testament. Around the year 36 A.D. was accused of blasphemy by the Sanhedrin and sentenced to stoning. One of its main inquisitors was Saul of Tarsus, who later became St. Paul



Source: http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giorno_di_Santo_Stefano


See Also: International Flower Delivery, Florist