For all our friends in Canada and the U.K., boxing day this year will arrive on December 26th, 2016. It’s actually not a fixed date which means that because it’s a public holiday, if the 26th falls on a Saturday or Sunday, it’ll be moved out the first weekday following the weekend.

In years past, Boxing Day was a day when all shops would be closed. However most recently, boxing day is when post-Christmas sales begin (comparable to Black Friday in the United States). You’ll even find that brands that nearly never have any promotions will offer a discount on this day (like our favorite, Lush Cosmetics). Some stores will have extended or early holiday hours while other shops may be closed, so be sure to plan accordingly if you plan on leaving the house today. Of course all public and government institutions will be closed on this day, as will be most employers outside of the retail and dining industries.

In terms of the history of Boxing Day, we won’t go into the details here but you can read up on them on Wikipedia.

What are you planning on doing on Boxing Day this year? A nice lunch with family or planning on doing some shopping? Let us know in the comments below.