Christmas lights at Mousehole harbour, Cornwall, England
Christmas lights at Mousehole harbour, Cornwall, England (© ianwool/Getty Images)
The holidays continue
As the last notes of Christmas carols linger in the air, Boxing Day arrives. This day is celebrated in the United Kingdom, Canada and several Commonwealth countries. In the past, it was customary for the wealthy to give boxes filled with gifts to their servants on the day after Christmas. The tradition evolved into a day for charitable giving to the less fortunate. Today, while the spirit of giving remains, it has transformed into a holiday enjoying bustling sales and a lineup of soccer matches. However, December 26th in India is marked by a more somber remembrance—the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, which is why the disaster is often referred to as the 'Boxing Day Tsunami.'
© ianwool/Getty Images