Boxing up Christmas

According to the Farmer’s Almanac:

Boxing Day is a centuries-old gift-giving day that originated in Britain. Yes, boxes are a big part of Boxing Day traditions!

It was a custom on that day for tradesmen to collect their “Christmas boxes,” gifts of money or goods in return for reliable service all year. Do you have any trades people who have been especially helpful this year—your postman, fix-it guy, city doorman? 

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the custom arose because servants, who would have to wait on their masters on Christmas Day, were allowed to visit their families the next day and employers would give them boxes to take home containing gifts, bonuses and, sometimes, leftover food.

[…]

the king’s activities on St. Stephen’s day: “Good King Wenceslas looked out/on the feast of Stephen.” Written by John Mason Neale and first published in 1853, the lyrics celebrate the spirit of Boxing Day—generosity—as it describes King Wenceslas watching a poor man “gath’ring winter fuel.” The king then brings the peasant food and logs for his fire.

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25 thoughts on “Boxing up Christmas”

  1. however, the Horrible Histories carolers say/sing this about ole wence:

    This seasonal song from Horrible Histories explains how the Good King wasn’t quite as he appeared in the Christmas Carol. Don’t forget to sing along!

  4. a crack, a possible glimmer of hope?  or just a crack-pot cracking

    the hill:

    Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he’s ready to negotiate “with everyone involved” in the war with Ukraine. 

    Putin told a Russian news reporter in an interview that aired on Russian media on Sunday that the Kremlin is ready to negotiate but their enemy are the ones refusing to talk.

    The comments from the Russian leader follow intense Russian shelling on the Ukrainian city of Kherson on Christmas Eve that killed at least 10 people and injured more than 50 others. 

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced Russia as “absolute evil” on Saturday following the deadly strikes, which he said were for “the sake of intimidation and pleasure.” 

    Zelensky and President Biden discussed what a “just peace” would look like when Zelensky visited the United States on Wednesday for his first international trip since the war started in February.

    Zelensky has laid out a series of 10 conditions that must be met for peace to be achieved, including total Russian withdrawal from Ukrainian territory. This would also include a Russian withdrawal from the Crimean Peninsula under the Ukrainian demands. 

    Russia seized Crimea in 2014 following a Russian-backed referendum that was condemned by most of the international community as illegal. 

    […]

    Putin said in the interview that Russia is defending its national interests and its citizens in the 10-month conflict, The Associated Press reported. But he said Russia is prepared to negotiate “some acceptable outcomes” with all participants in the conflict. 

    Putin called the conflict a war for the first time in a televised news conference on Thursday, saying it is Russia’s goal to end it. He previously only referred to it as a “special military operation.”

  5. also from the hill:

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a Christmas message said Ukrainians will celebrate the holidays with one difference this year, as the country observes its first Christmas since its conflict with Russia began.

    “We will celebrate our holidays! As always. We will smile and be happy. As always. The difference is one. We will not wait for a miracle. After all, we create it ourselves,” Zelensky said on Saturday.

    […]

    Zelensky on Saturday said holidays “have a bitter aftertaste for us this year,” adding “we can feel the traditional Spirit of Christmas differently.”

    “Dinner at the family table cannot be so tasty and warm. There may be empty chairs around it. And our houses and streets can’t be so bright. And Christmas bells can ring not so loudly and inspiringly. Through air raid sirens, or even worse — gunshots and explosions,” he added.

    The president called on Ukrainians to “endure this winter because we know what we are fighting for.”

    “Evil has no weapon stronger than the armor given to us by God. Evil smashes against this armor like a stone wall. We have seen this more than once. We endured at the beginning of the war. We endured attacks, threats, nuclear blackmail, terror, missile strikes,” he added.

    […]

    Zelensky on Saturday reflected on the past 10 months of battle between Ukraine and Russia.

    “Wherever we are, we will be together today. And together we will look at the evening sky. And together we will remember the morning of February 24. Let’s remember how much we have passed,” he said.

    “Let’s remember Azovstal, Irpin, Bucha, Kramatorsk, Snake Island, Chornobayivka, Izium, Kherson. We make a wish. One for all. And we will feel joy. One for all. And we will understand the truth. One for all,” he added.

  7. Ah, a walk down memory lane. My guitars are pedestrian. My favorite for noodling is an SG special I paid $400 for 8-10 years ago. Stock and basic as it can be. The one closest to my heart is a mid 80s 90s pearl white Squier strat I bought for $250 used, pulled the trem off and swapped out the electronics- dropped in a Mighty Mite loaded pick guard ($50 – Stew Mac) and sanded damage off the back of the neck and refinished it in satin. Heavy sumbitch but plays like butter and sounds very straty. Have a couple Epiphones (Sheraton & LP) and a lower end Gibson LP studio I got for a song that’s gorgeous and feels like an LP should but somehow doesn’t really call out to me all that much. Have a Fender acoustic I bought @ 40 years ago that sounds really good and  looks like it did the day I bought it. LP does them justice. I just noodle. 

  8. Judge tells Kari Lake to fluck off. WaPo. 

    An Arizona judge on Saturday rebuffed an effort by Kari Lake, the defeatedGOP candidate for governor in Arizona, to reverse the outcome of her November election, ruling against her after a two-day trial that showcased speculation about systematic malfeasance at the polls but failed to prove it.

    The finding was in line with recent judgments against Abe Hamadeh and Mark Finchem, the unsuccessful candidates for attorney general and secretary of state, respectively, who also challenged their losses. Taken together, the rulings show how the judiciary in Arizona, a state rife with distrust in the democratic process, rejected challenges to election results and affirmed the will of voters.
    [Continues]

    Nice try I suppose. I’m sure she’ll resurface in Dumbass’ 2024 windmill tour, perhaps as the 21st century Sancho Panza to Don. 

  10. https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/24/politics/migrants-dropped-off-vice-president-christmas-eve/index.html

    “Several busloads of migrants were dropped off in front of Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence in Washington, DC, on Christmas Eve in 18 degree weather late Saturday.”

    Greg Abbott should never call himself a Christian, nor should most other Republicans…for y’all came to Greg poor and hungry, and he gave you a bus ride.

    *For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me (Matthew 25:35).

    *But no stranger had to spend the night in the street, for my door was always open to the traveller (Job 31:32).

    *Let strangers feast on your wealth and your toil enrich the house of another (Proverbs 5:10).

    *When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God (Leviticus 19: 33-34).

    *Show hospitality to one another without grumbling (1 Peter 4:9).

    *Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares (Hebrews 13:1-2).

    A passage for Dreamers (since Republicans are also so eager to get rid of divisions between Church and State).

    *You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the sojourners who reside among you and have had children among you. They shall be to you as native-born children of Israel. With you they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe the sojourner resides, there you shall assign him his inheritance, declares the Lord God (Ezekiel 47:22-23).

    Hmmm. Sounds like Republicans are trying to hide behind a book based on a socialist ideology in which they don’t actually believe.

    *If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you (Leviticus 25:35).

    * If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. Isaiah 58:9b-10, NIV

    Shameful.

    *They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’  He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me. Matthew 25:44-45, NIV

    Here endeth the lesson, Greg.

    *Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. Isaiah 1:17, ESV

  12. jamie, trouble abrewing out your way.  how bad is it and are you impacted?

    Burglaries to Substations Cause Power Outages – Pierce County Sheriff’s Department Blotter

    Today at 05:26 am we received a call of a burglary to the Tacoma Public Utilities Substation at 22312 46th Ave E.

    Deputies arrived on scene and saw there was forced entry into the fenced area. Nothing had been taken from the substation, but the suspect vandalized the equipment causing a power outage in the area.

    Deputies were notified of a second burglary to the TPU substation at 8820 224th St E which also had forced entry with damage to the equipment. Nothing was taken from this site either.

    At 11:25 we were notified by Puget Sound Energy that they too had a power outage this morning at 02:39 am. Deputies are currently on scene at this facility where the fenced area was broken into and the equipment vandalized.

    At this time deputies are conducting the initial investigation. We do not have any suspects in custody. It is unknown if there are any motives or if this was a coordinated attack on the power systems.

    In total, three sites were vandalized, two TPU and one PSE, with more than 14K customers effected.

  13. I think the most amusing thing about the boxing day tradition, is the manor house sending the servants home with the left overs of the manor house’s Christmas dinner. I can imagine them being expressing gratitude in a shuck and jive “yes sir massa” sort of way. 
    then again maybe it is not that amusing.
    Jack

  14. I’m a believer, when one gives to those less fortunate, that you do so in a way that allows them to preserve their dignity. And not to inflate your ego.
    The words of Jesus: “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.”
    Jack

  15. Jack – My neighbor is on Social Security only.  She does not have a lot extra at anytime.  When I spot a need of hers, or she asks to use something of mine, an example would be induction cook tops.  I have several collected over many years, I only use two, so the others are stored. Hers all died and she was trying to make do with a microwave.  I brought her one and she wanted to pay for it.  No way was she going to give me $150.  I told her it is on loan and when I need it I will ask for it back.  Same with a few other things.  She does not want charity, so she gets loaners.

  17. Do not believe anything the Russians state.  Especially concerning the military.  I do not believe three personnel died and there was no equipment damage.  There was probably a lot more damage and possibly more personnel.  Later today a few of the satellite overheads will be online and we can look for damage. I would expect the military to try to cover up and disguise the damage before a bird can fly over though.

  18. Dipshit says, “I think they’d like to see me in prison.”   To me, this feels like a set-up for fleeing the country.

  19. Trump is hiding out down in Florida, he only leaves the compound to go golfing. One of my newsletters was speculating if he even had “fire in the belly” it takes to win the nomination. 
    Jack
     

  20. BB
    That is kinda the way I do it, or just say it was laying around and I’m planning on getting rid of it anyway. 
    Jack

  21. …destined to be a zoo-exhibit for some royal-oil asshole, they can gild his cage so he feels right at home

  22. Things in life – I get a kick out of the weird questions by some person/company that are nostalgia type; like Who Remembers? and there is a picture of Tang.  Well, other than phishing for your data there is no reason to answer that, however, turn around and make it your own and then FB will collect the data, not some foreign company.
     
    My power company is good about sending out emails if my usage pops up out of normal.  I just got one letting me know my bill for the month is over double normal.  Okay, the weather is cold – for several days and near cold for several more.  However, that would not do it.  So I looked and confirmed I am using a lot of energy. The reason is with the CPAP machine I need distilled water.  There is a complete, and as far as I can tell, outage of distilled water in the Annapolis area.  I have gone to stores I would only visit in daylight, and no distilled water.  I had some from my photographic film developing stores, but those are gone now.  So, I purchased a distiller from Amazon.  The first one was a dud.  The second one works great.  Distilled water everywhere now. But, it burns up a lot of calories.  Like daily double energy use. 
    A side note to that is because I searched with the google machine I started getting booze making distilling video suggestions.  Yup, that water distiller is sold by others as a still.  Cool.  I do not like the google machine and the video machine being the same owner.

  23. Woody Allen ends his speech to the graduates as told by Margaret Carlson: 
     “You have a choice to make–one path leads to utter hopelessness and the other to despair.   I hope you choose correctly.”

    LBJ— The difference between democrats and cannibals is that cannibals don’t eat their own family.
     

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