Boxing Day culture is strange to many Nigerians – Calabar Trader

A Calabar trader, Mr. John Ephraim, has asserted that the Boxing Day culture is strange to many Nigerians.

Ephraim disclosed this on Tuesday in Calabar during an interview with the newsmen.

Boxing Day, which is a public holiday in Nigeria, is marked annually on December 26 to give gifts to people in need.

Though it originated as a holiday for sharing gifts with people in need, today, Boxing Day forms part of the Christmas celebration, with many people choosing to go shopping.

He said he once read that Boxing Day was a day of showing love to people and not about fighting each other.

“However, personally, I have never received a box of gifts before on Boxing Day, nor have I sent any to anyone else.

“I don’t think many Nigerians understand what the day is all about and its relationship with gifts; I think the culture is alien to us.

Mrs. Philomena Okon said she doesn’t know what Boxing Day signifies, adding that she just knew that December 26 was referred to as Boxing Day.

She said as a child growing up, she used to think that the day had something in connection with the physical boxing fight between two people.

Mrs Ada Chukwuma said she knows that Boxing Day was a day people shared gifts in boxes but she had never sent a boxed gift to anyone on Dec. 26, neither had she received any.

“I think the culture of Boxing Day is strange to Nigerians because many people don’t know what it signifies and those who do have never practiced it before,” she said.

Supreme News notes that while many Nigerians were ignorant of the essence of the Boxing Day celebration, others just saw it as a continuation of the Christmas celebration and engaged in fun activities or travel.