What do people do on Boxing Day? Families share their traditions

From food traditions to family arrangements and fun activities, one family proclaimed that what they do makes it the “best day of the year”. While a couple of Reddit commentators start off the day with a cooked breakfast, others are fans of “bubble and squeak”.

“Just take the leftover veg [from Christmas], roughly mash it down and reheat it in a frying pan until it’s warmed through,” one posted to the forum. For the main meal, a couple of families prefer gammon, or an assortment of cold meats, including cold ham and turkey. Some make cold meat sandwiches, while others pair the meat with salad, pickles, quiche, mashed potatoes, or chips.

“Send the guests to the pub while preparing dinner,” another Reddit contributor directed. Others opt for a turkey tikka curry or a turkey soup to round off the afternoon.

“For afters, we always have a dessert featuring blueberries,” another added.

As for family arrangements, the consensus seems to be that you see “the other side of family that we hadn’t seen on Christmas”.

One family member posted: “This year we’ll be seeing my grandma from my Dad’s side on Christmas Day and then my aunt and cousins on my mum’s side for Boxing Day.

“This will then alternate next year. It’s what we’ve always done, and I absolutely love it.”

Then come the family amusements, with some trying out new games and Lego, and others reading, playing board games, and going for a long walk.

“Everyone eats leftovers all day, and plays with their presents and reads their new books and does absolutely nothing they don’t want to,” posted one Reddit user. “Best day of the year.”

Many watch sports on Boxing Day; some families head off to watch football, some watch it on TV, and some head to the races. Then there’s shopping, of course, as a few consider that a sport too.