The day following Christmas is a holiday in many countries of the world, you name it Saint Stephenlike Catholics, or boxing day.
Saint Stephen
Saint Stephen is the first martyr of Christianity, according to the New Testament. He was stoned to death shortly after Jesus between 33 and 36 AD because he was accused of blasphemy. He is close to Christmas like many other saints who were close to Christ on earth. The Catholic Church and some Protestants celebrate it on December 26th. For the Orthodox the date is the 27th.
Who was
According to historical sources, he lived in Jerusalem. He was one of the first 7 deacons chosen by the apostles to help them spread the Gospel. The acts of the apostles that tell his story define him, in chapter 6, as a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. It is not known whether he was Greek or Jewish. The name Stefano means crown, crowned and comes from the Greek. The future Saint Paul, who had not yet converted, witnessed his death.
Patron
Protects deacons, bakers, headaches. Her emblems are palm and stones.
Holiday
It is celebrated in Italy, Austria, Germany, Ireland, Denmark, Catalonia, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro (he is the patron saint) and Romania. With us, the day following Christmas has been a holiday since 1949.
Ireland
In Ireland it defines itself Lá Fhéile Stiofán or Lá an Dreoilín in Gaelic, Wren’s Day in English. Episodes from the life of Jesus with a sparrow are connected to this day. In Ireland he goes from house to house with a sparrow, singing songs. Once upon a time men and boys dressed in rags did it. Now the sparrows are images or fakes, they used to be real.
Boxing Day
In Anglo-Saxon countries it is not Boxing Day, but Boxing Day. The origin of the day comes from the tradition of giving something to the poor. The name would come from the alms boxes outside churches, not the gift boxes left outside doors on the day following Christmas. If December 26th is Sunday, it moves to the following day and is increasingly associated with the start of the sales. Old England had this day as a prime time for fox hunting.
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Source: Vanity Fair
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