THE HISTORY OF BOXING DAY IN THE CARIBBEAN
Originally published December 26th 2024. 3:55 am.
Boxing Day, celebrated on December 26, is a public holiday in the Anglophone Caribbean. The holiday’s name has several origins. One theory suggests it comes from the tradition of wealthy aristocrats giving their servants boxes of leftover Christmas meals, as the servants worked on Christmas Day but had the 26th off to celebrate with their families. Another explanation ties it to church collection boxes, whose contents were distributed to the less fortunate on this day. Boxing Day is also associated with the Feast of St. Stephen, a Christian martyr remembered for his charitable acts.
Despite its name, Boxing Day has no connection to the sport of boxing.
In the West Indies, Boxing Day has deeper cultural significance, tied to the historical experience of enslaved Africans who were sometimes granted this day as a rare break. As a result, the holiday often features vibrant celebrations showcasing Afro-Caribbean traditions. These include the Gombey dances in Bermuda, the Junkanoo street carnival in the Bahamas, and the Jonkonnu masquerade in Belize. These festivities highlight elaborate costumes, live music, street parades, and spirited dances. In Jamaica, the Junkanoo parade, named after a Ghanaian warrior anglicized as "John Canoe," reflects the enduring cultural heritage of the African diaspora. Learn even more about Boxing Day celebrations across a few Caribbean islands:
THE BAHAMAS
In the Bahamas, Boxing Day was the day slave owners gave their slaves wooden boxes filled with leftovers from the day before. And it was one of the few, if not the only, days of rest. Today, that tradition has grown into an annual celebration of black Caribbean Garifuna culture: the wild and colorful street carnival, Junkanoo. The festivities kick off on Boxing Day and continue into the new year.
BERMUDA
Boxing Day in Bermuda belongs to the Gombey dance troupes. Bermuda’s Gombey dancers are a cultural icon reflective of Bermuda’s blend of African, West Indian, Native American and British culture. The word Gombey is derived from an African word meaning rhythm or drum, and the energetic drummers are an essential part of the performance.
The Bermudian Gombey was recognized as its own distinct Bermudian art form at a UNESCO Cultural and Conservation Conference in 1970.
BELIZE
The Garifuna communities in Belize celebrate an important cultural tradition during the Christmas and New Year holidays. The Habinahan Wanaragua Jankunu Festival (also known as the John Canoe festival) is a traditional Garifuna dance festival which sees masked and costumed dancers parading the streets and roaming from house to house accompanied by the beat of drummers. The festival is held in Dangriga, where Garifuna drummers and dancers from all over Belize gather for a dance showdown.ay of leisure with music and dance.
JAMAICA
In Jamaica, the festivity is known as John Canoe - where a band of masqueraders appear in towns or villages during the Christmas season. It has other variations in spelling such as, ‘Junkanoo’ or ‘Jonkonnu’, or is typically referred to as ‘muskorate’ (meaning ‘masquerade’).
TURKS & CAICOS
Maskanoo is an annual event in the Turks and Caicos and is held “Boxing Day”, the day after Christmas (a holiday in Commonwealth countries like TCI).Maskanoo has its roots in the ‘Masses’, a masquerade tradition that fuses traditional African culture with costumed balls held in the colonial era. On Provo, Maskanoo originated with workers brought by the Bermudian salt rakers to work the salt ponds of Salt Cay, and South Caicos two hundred years ago.
In modern times, Boxing Day has become synonymous with shopping, as retailers offer significant post-Christmas sales during the winter holiday season. Whether through its cultural festivities, historical significance, or contemporary traditions, Boxing Day remains a celebration of community, history, and giving.