For the longest time, I truly believed Boxing Day was a holiday created to celebrate martial arts and boxing. In my mind, it was a day dedicated to fighters, discipline, and maybe even a little shadowboxing for fun. I imagined it as a respectful nod to combat sports, something serious and powerful. That belief stayed with me for years, and I never once questioned it.

Then one random day, while scrolling through Twitter, everything changed. I came across a post casually explaining that Boxing Day had nothing to do with boxing as a sport. It was about boxes. Gift boxes. The ones left over after Christmas. I stared at my screen for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. All those years of dramatic assumptions, and the truth was sitting quietly inside a cardboard box.

Boxing Day, traditionally celebrated the day after Christmas, is about unboxing gifts, sharing extras, giving to those in need, and enjoying a slower pace after the excitement of Christmas Day. It is often spent returning gifts, hunting for good deals, visiting family, or simply resting. It is a holiday rooted in generosity and comfort, not combat. Once I learned that, the name suddenly made perfect sense, and my old assumption became a funny story I now love to tell.

Thanksgiving has always been much easier to understand. It is the holiday that revolves around gratitude, food, and family. It is the one day where everyone agrees to pause, sit down together, and reflect on what they are thankful for. Whether the turkey turns out perfect or slightly dry, Thanksgiving is less about perfection and more about presence.

What connects Thanksgiving and Boxing Day is the way they bring people together in different but meaningful ways. Thanksgiving gathers everyone before the holiday rush, reminding us to appreciate what we already have. Boxing Day allows us to slow down after the excitement, enjoy what we received, and share what we can.

These holidays also remind us that it is okay to misunderstand traditions at first. Sometimes, those misunderstandings become the best memories. They give us something to laugh about and share. They make the holidays feel human and warm.

At the end of the day, holidays are not about getting everything right. They are about connection, learning, laughter, and the stories we carry forward. And sometimes, those stories start with thinking Boxing Day was about boxing gloves instead of gift boxes.