All you need to know about the Boxing Day Tests

The cricket fans are not new to the term Boxing Day. While some know what is actually is, others still pretty much are unaware of what the significance of the term is. It is not surprising to see a few even linking the terminology to the sport of boxing. But truth be told, the Boxing Day has nothing to do with boxing. At least, there is one fact clear among the fans. The day is often associated with a Test match kicking off. Also, the day is celebrated on 26th of December every year. Here goes the trivial data.

The day is often associated with a Test match kicking off. Also, the day is celebrated on 26th of December every year. Here goes the trivial data. The secret behind the name dates back in time when people often celebrated Christmas on 25th December and left gifts for the poor. The money and gifts were placed in small boxes. This was earlier known as the ‘Çhristmas Box’.

On the next day, 26th of December, the poor got a chance to unbox those boxes and hence the name. Another story relates to the fact that the servants often spent time at their masters’ place on the night of Christmas. As a symbol of appreciation, the masters gave the next day off for the servants.

The servants also used to bring small boxes on Christmas nights. These boxes were often filled with coins and food by the masters as a bonus. The definitions might have changed and so have the times. However, the holiday on 26th December remains. The day is associated with people giving their loved ones gifts. The gift boxes given on the Christmas day are unboxed on the next day on the Boxing Day.

Since the year of 1980, Cricket Australia (CA) started hosting Boxing Day Tests at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) for the touring team. The day being a holiday often sees huge crowds.

New Zealand also hosts matches on the day. The Basin Reserve stadium in Wellington is the venue for the matches in New Zealand on the day. South Africa also loves being a part of the celebration. In case they are not touring Australia during the Christmas time, they organise the match back in home conditions.

Other sporting events associated with the day are the Yacht Race from Sydney to Hobart, and soccer matches between Scotland and England. Boxing Day is a public holiday in most of the Commonwealth nations. It is also called as St. Stephen’s Day.