(NewsNation) — The holiday season is packed with numerous traditions and occasions. Many people are celebrating another holiday Tuesday known as Boxing Day.

While Boxing Day is celebrated on December 26, it’s worth noting that despite the name, the holiday has nothing to do with the sport of boxing or packages.

When is Boxing Day?

Boxing Day will be celebrated on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023. It’s celebrated annually on the day after Christmas; however, if Dec. 26 falls on a Saturday, the holiday moves to the following Monday, as per Britannica.

Boxing Day’s origins

According to the History Channel, one theory of Boxing Day’s origin is that the day after Christmas was when boxes filled with small gifts and money would be given to household servants and employees who had to work on Christmas Day. The gifts were meant as a thank-you for their service throughout the year.

The upper class would take leftover food, goods, or money and put them in boxes to give out to the poor, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Another theory is that Boxing Day started when churches could leave alms boxes to collect donations for those less fortunate, according to Britannica.

Though the holiday’s origin has varied, Dictionary.com claims it has existed since the 1700s.

How is Boxing Day celebrated?

The practice of almsgiving on Dec. 26 has faded with charity now being given in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Today, Boxing Day is a public holiday celebrated in the U.K. and some Commonwealth countries, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Most people have the day off from work and school and families celebrate together for meals, relax and home, attend sporting events and go shopping.

Americans don’t typically celebrate Boxing Day. Boxing Day isn’t observed as a national holiday in the U.S.

Dec. 26 is also known as St. Stephen’s Day, after the first Christian martyr who was known for helping the poor, the Almanac reports.