From Wikipedia…

Boxing Day is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, as well as many other members of the Commonwealth of Nations and Greece. It is based on the tradition of giving gifts to the less fortunate members of society. Contemporary Boxing Day in Australia and Canada is a “shopping holiday” associated with after-Christmas sales. It is usually celebrated on 26 December, the day after Christmas Day…

Boxing Day dates back to the century in which the primary practice of giving gifts to employees or to people in a lower social class. The name has numerous folk etymologies[3].
Boxing Day is also likely related to, and ultimately derived from, the ancient Roman Saturnalia[4], which also had elements of social role reversal.

A Christmas box is, in English tradition, a clay box used in artisan shops. Apprentices, masters, visitors, customers, and others would put donations of money into the box, like a piggy bank, and then, after Christmas, the box would be shattered and all the contents shared among the workers of the shop. Thus, masters and customers could donate bonuses to the workers anonymously, and the employees could average their wages. The habit of breaking the Christmas box lent its name to Boxing Day. The term “Christmas box” now refers generally to a gift or pay bonus given to workers.

The Oxford English Dictionary attributes it to the Christmas box; the verb box meaning: “To give a Christmas-box (colloq.); hence the term boxing-day.” The date coincides with the Feast of St. Stephen.

Naturally, we’ve got a mix.

EAR FARM’s Mixtape #39: Boxing Day
1. “TKO (Boxing Day)” by Elvis Costello
2. “Return The Gift” by Gang Of Four
3. “Love For Sale” by Talking Heads
4. “Master and Servant” by Depeche Mode
5. “Give” by Mf Grimm
6. “Give ‘Er” by Peaches
7. “The Poor, the Fair, and the Good” by Silver Jews
8. “St. Stephen” by Grateful Dead
9. “To The Workers Of The Rock River Valley Region, I Have An Idea Concerning Your Predicament” by Sufjan Stevens
10. “Working Class Hero” by John Lennon
11. “Upfield” by Billy Bragg
12. “Serve the Servants” by Nirvana
13. “Boxing” by Ben Folds Five
14. “What You Give” by Tesla
15. “The Christmas Box” by Paul Cardall

*images from HERE and HERE.
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8tracks is a simple way to create and share mixtapes that we’re now using in lieu of Muxtape, we may even like it more. Check back, as we post a brand new mix each week on Friday morning. You can see all of the EAR FARM Weekly Mixes HERE.