What is Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a traditional holiday observed in Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) and various Commonwealth countries, including Canada. Historically, it was a day when servants, tradespeople, and the less fortunate received gifts. The name “Boxing Day” might have originated from the opening of boxes in churches to collect donations for the poor or from the boxes of gifts given by employers to workers on the day after Christmas. Due to the servants’ work on December 25, they observed their Christmas holiday on December 26.
Today, Boxing Day is often associated with shopping sales and deals, both in physical stores and online. In Canada, Boxing Day always falls on December 26, the day after Christmas. It is a statutory holiday in Ontario and federally in Canada, meaning people in Ontario and those employed in federally regulated workplaces across the country get the day off.
Is Boxing Day a Stat Holiday
However, Boxing Day is not a statutory holiday in every province and territory in Canada. It is an optional general holiday in Alberta and a designated retail closing day in Nova Scotia. In British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, Boxing Day is not a statutory holiday, and employers in these regions are not obligated to provide a day off on December 26.
Despite the holiday status, many shopping centers and malls are open on Boxing Day in Canada, offering in-store and online shopping opportunities. The opening hours vary, and some places may have modified hours or be closed.
Are malls open on Boxing Day?
Several notable malls across different provinces are open on Boxing Day, including CF Eaton Centre in Toronto, Yorkdale in Toronto, Vaughan Mills in Vaughan, SquareOne in Mississauga, Toronto Premium Outlets in Halton Hills, CF Rideau Centre in Ottawa, and more.
Boxing Day sales in Canada are a significant shopping event, with various retailers offering deals on a wide range of products. Best Buy, for instance, has a “Boxing Day Price Guarantee,” ensuring that prices won’t drop during the entire Boxing Day Sale. Walmart’s Boxing Day sale is a week-long event, featuring discounts on electronics, laptops, home appliances, furniture, toys, and more. Other retailers like Amazon, Costco, Canadian Tire, Aritzia, Wayfair, The Bay, Michael Kors, Roots, Coach Outlet, and Lululemon also participate in Boxing Day sales.
These sales provide an opportunity for consumers to afford products that might have been out of their budget before, including Fitbit devices, Michael Kors purses, Beats headphones, SodaStream machines, and more. While some retailers offer early Boxing Day deals in the weeks leading up to December 26, others focus on discounts specifically on Boxing Day or during the week of Boxing Day.