Happy Boxing Day! In Great Britian and some Commonwealth countries, particularly Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, December 26 was the day on which servants, tradespeople, and the poor traditionally were presented with gifts.
Explanations for the origin of the name have varied, with some believing that it derived from the opening of alms boxes that had been placed in churches for the collection of donations to aid the poor. Others, however, have held that it came from the boxes of gifts given to employees on the day after Christmas. According to this theory, because the work of servants was required for the Christmas Day celebrations of their employers, they were allowed the following day for their own observance of the holiday.
Our family has celebrated Boxing Day several times in the past with a life-long friend, Doreen (Potts) Ference, an English war bride. She often served Buck’s Fizz, a drink made with orange juice, non-alcoholic sparkling wine, and a twist of orange. No stirring was needed…the bubbles did all the mixing.
Buck’s Fizz
- 4 ounces orange juice**
- 8 ounces sparkling non-alcoholic wine
- Orange twist for garnish
Resist the urge to stir here. Your mocktail will be perfectly blended as you combine your juice and your bubbles. It’s the power of sparkling wine.
**Feel free to get creative with other fruit juices, too. Blood orange, pineapple, and mango juices go well at brunch or baby showers. Cranberry juice may feel festive if you’re celebrating the winter holidays or new year’s.
Born and raised in western Massachusetts, Jo-Ann Roberts was fascinated by America’s Old West and always felt she was destined to travel on a wagon train following the Oregon Trail. With her love of history and reading, she began reading historical romance during high school and college. Victoria Holt, Jude Deveraux, and Roseanne Bittner were among her favorites. Influenced by her father, she fell in love with John Wayne, James Garner, and her all-time favorite, James Stewart and grew up watching Wagon Train, Bonanza and Rawhide.
A firm believer in HEA with a healthy dose of realism, Jo-Ann strives to give her readers a sweet historical romance while imparting carefully researched historical facts, personalities, and experiences relative to the time period. Her romances take her readers back to a simpler time to escape the stress of modern life by living in a small town where families and friends help one another find love and happiness.
When she isn’t creating believable plots and relatable heroes and heroines, Jo-Ann enjoys spending time with her husband, children and grandson. She also enjoys baking, quilting and eating way too much chocolate.
After 38 years in public education in Connecticut and Maryland, she’s now calls North Carolina home.
What a great idea. Thank you for sharing. God bless you. Happy New Year.
Happy Boxing Day!
Buck’s Fizz sounds like a delightful and refreshing drink.
Sounds like a refreshing drink, can’t wait to give it a try, I’m thinking maybe cranberry juice to be a bit more festive
Sounds good
That sounds good!!
That sound’s good Thank you for sharing
That looks good. Great for New Year’s
This sounds like a nice refreshing drink to celebrate the day. A good way to start a holiday morning.