WELL I'LL BE!
THE ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS YOU NEVER ASKED
What the heck is Boxing Day?
The few of us who are aware of Boxing Day probably associate it with pugilism. I was guilty of this until very recently, when someone told me it has something to do with boxes. Ah. So, what is Boxing Day?
Simply put, it is the first weekday following Christmas (typically December 26), and is celebrated predominantly in Britain and Commonwealth countries (i.e., former territories of the British Empire). In modern times, it is marked by sporting events (especially in Australia) and retail sales (many retailers use it as an opportunity to clear out unsold Christmas merchandise).
The origins of the name are unclear, but it is generally accepted that Boxing Day began centuries ago as an occasion for giving cash or durable goods to those of lower classes. Gifts to equals were bestowed on or before Christmas, while gifts to those less fortunate were given the day after.
One theory holds that members of the merchant class gave their servants boxes of food or fruit as a form of tip. Another holds that employees would arrive at work the day after Christmas with boxes, in which their employers would deposit coins—a sort of year-end bonus. Yet another asserts that the church donation box was opened on Christmas day and distributed by clergy the next day. In each theory, some sort of box is involved, and some sort of exchange benefiting those less fortunate takes place—and that’s about all we know about the origins of the holiday’s name. Today, such gift giving is overshadowed by year-end sales and the joys of a day free from work.
What does “auld lang syne” mean?
While many of us sing “auld lang syne” (pronounced auld lang sign) first thing after midnight on New Year’s Eve, very few of us actually know what it means, let alone what words to sing.
Auld Lang Syne is actually an 18th century poem written by Scottish poet Robert Burns, and translates as “old long since” or, more idiomatically, as “days gone by” or “once upon a time.” The lyrics to the first verse and chorus are:
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne. |
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Sources: Urban Legends Reference Pages, Wikipedia
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TRIVIAL TIDBIT
Where LEGO got its name
I’ve always loved LEGO bricks. For me, there was little more exciting than receiving a set for Christmas and spending all day assembling it. As a kid, I never wondered why those interlocking plastic bricks were so named, but years of adolescence and a chance encounter with a magazine article prompted my search.
LEGO originated in 1932 in the town of Billund, Denmark. In that year, master carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen started a business making stepladders, ironing boards, stools, and—presumably—wooden toys. Within two years, the toy part had grown successful enough that he named his business LEGO, from the Danish words leg godt, meaning “play well.” Incidentally, lego is also Latin for “I put together.”
In 1949, LEGO began making plastic Automatic Binding Bricks. Curiously, at their international debut at the 1955 Nuremberg toy fair in Germany, they received a lukewarm reception.
Despite this first reaction, LEGO went on undeterred. Since 1949, LEGO has manufactured some 327 billion bricks—enough for every person on earth to own more than 50. In terms of sales, LEGO is the world’s 6th largest toy company.
The brick in its present form was launched in 1958.
Sources: Morris, Evan. From Altoids to Zima (2004), LEGO®.
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