Boxing Day

Back home, the 24th of December, being the eve of Christmas day is an important day. Fact is, it's a non working public holiday. Filipinos are busy preparing for the Noche Buena or Midnight Feast. The 24th also marks the culmination of the Simbang Gabi where a special midnight mass is heard highlighted by the Panuluyan, a Filipino religious tradition celebrated in many towns on the Eve of Christmas. The "Panuluyan" group, made up of town people, two of them acting as Joseph and Mary (in some cases, they just carry statues of Joseph and Mary), goes around the town, re-enacting the Christmas scene as written by St. Luke in Chapter 2, verse 7: ...' and there was no room for them in the inn.' Usually the procession ends up in front of the church at midnight.

Here in Australia, that day is just like an ordinary day. People still go to work, all shops are open, people just do their normal activities for the week. What is more important here is the 26th, the day after Christmas. They call it Boxing Day here. Not because of the sport of boxing, it was coined from a traditional celebration of the practice of giving out gifts or Christmas boxes to employees, the poor and the people in lower social class. Boxing day here is a non-working holiday. This day is a time for gift giving and partying.

Boxing day here is also highlighted by two major sports spectacle. In Melbourne, the Test Match of Cricket and in Sydney the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. For me, Boxing Day is just like one of those boring days. Might as well blog and later on hit the sack for a well deserved sleep!

Hooo huummm! ZZZZZZzzzzz!