During an eventful camping trip over the New Year’s period of 2015 into 2016, the S.E.A.C (South East Auckland Crew) made a New Year’s resolution that each member of the team would place a cache in 11 out of the 12 months of 2016. This is the twelfth cache in a series the we (LiverKiwi and lordcacher08) will place throughout the year for this particular challenge. Each cache will give some information about the day and the reason for the celebration chosen for that month. We hope you like it and will learn something from it.
Boxing Day is the day that falls after Christmas Day, that is 26th December. It is a secular holiday and is not celebrated around the world, generally only those countries that have been or are still within the British Empire, or The Commonwealth as it is know known. Other countries celebrate other holidays on this day, like Germany who celebrate it as a second Christmas Day, or other more religious countries celebrating St. Stephen's Day which happens to fall on 26th December.
The origins of Boxing Day date back to the Middle Ages, about 800 to 900 years ago. Churches would keep a box in which alms, a donation from parishioners to the poor, were opened and the proceeds distributed among the poor it was intended for. Some churches today still practice this tradition.
Later, in the early 19th century, it became the tradition of people who worked in public service, such as delivery boys, post-men, and servants of various kinds would go around and ask for a gratuity of some sort for the services that they had rendered throughout the year, even though they were paid their normal salary by their employer throughout the year. This gratuity was referred to as a Christmas Box.
This developed into the tradition of masters letting their servants go home to visit families on the day after Christmas as they had been serving the gentry during Christmas Day. As a show of the appreciation of the work they had done throughout the year, they would send a box with the servant with presents, money, and left over food for their family celebrations.
After World War II and the demise of masters and servants, this tradition just got lost. Today, it is mostly celebrated with a public or bank holiday in the countries where it is observed.
As Boxing Day occurs right after Christmas Day, this cache has been placed in the same strip of reserve as Celebrations - Christmas. Again, this is along the back of people's houses so stealth will be required. Also there is a fenced off culvert where the Pakuranga Stream flows underground, please be careful around this area so that you don't injure yourself.
- Please replace the cache where and as you found it.
- Bring your own writing implement of choice.
- Co-ordinates obtained with a phone, so may be ±5m.