Boxing Day

Those clever Canadians spread out Christmas cheer by observing "Boxing Day" on 26 Dec.

No, our neighbors to the north do not strip to their skivvies, don padded leather gloves and beat each other senseless in some illogical extension of the Seinfeldian "Festivus Feats of Strength". In their typically patient manner, they do the church-going and feasting on Christmas, but delay the gift-giving (presumably in boxes) to the following day. After all, these are the folks who waited nearly 100 years for the British to give them independence rather than going through all that messy Revolutionary War stuff. What's another night of "visions of sugar plums dancing through their heads" after that?

We Americans celebrate a Boxing Day of sorts when Trash Pick Up Day is 26 Dec, like it is this year. Walking the dog this morning, I marvelled at the multitude of illustrated boxes lining the streets. Where do toy manufacturers get those delighted children depicted on boxes of toys? Their sheer joy at witnessing a dancing Elmo or operating a Rock'Em, Sock'Em robot fails to match American reality. Real American kids show no delight upon ripping open Present #1 as they proceed to tear the wrappings off what promises to be even better Present #2 until all gifts are opened and disappointment sets in that Brother Josh or Sister Tiffany got a superior haul..

My theory is that the ecstatic kids pictured on toy boxes are all Canadians and likely have no siblings. When you've had to wait another whole day for a gift and especially when you have nothing to be jealous of, you tend to appreciate it more.