Traditionally most Americans I know don’t celebrate “Boxing Day” but my friend Laurie Smithwick and her friends have an awesome way of celebrating. The day after Christmas they all get together at a park and bring all the boxes they have leftover from Christmas for a Boxing Day party (they even save the ones from a few weeks before). Here is Laurie’s description:
We meet at our neighborhood park with all our Christmas boxes, as well as lots of packing tape, paint, markers, string, ribbon, rope, etc. The whole gang (parents and kids alike) works together to construct Box City. Then we eat together (there are grills in the park — and we all bring food). Then the kids all destroy Box City (like a bunch of Godzillas), we flatten all the boxes, and take them off to recycling.
It sounds like such a fun way to get together after the holidays and clean up all your recycling at the same time.
all photos by Laurie Smithwick
This girl loves to talk
December 22, 2011
this is so cool. I live in australia where Boxing day is celebrated but we aren’t this cool! boxing day is just another public holiday here to visit the other side of the family, we might invite friends over for pancakes breakfast or just to rest and recover from christmas. Boxing day sales are huge (I’ve never been though) and many in my family like to go to the beach (It IS Summer here!!)
funnily enough I have a lot of expat friends here and many have never heard of boxing day until they moved here. one of my american friends seriously thought boxing day was so named because she thought we must have big ‘boxing’ (as in the sport) competitions or the like on tv or something. So funny!
Sigrid
December 22, 2011
Good idea because I heard the other day how much packaging waste there is now days due to online shopping at Christmas. http://www.marketplace.org/topics/sustainability/when-holiday-season-means-more-waste
Way to have fun and be responsible and set a great example for the kids!
Susan
December 22, 2011
What an awesome idea!!
HRCK the Herald
December 22, 2011
This is SUCH a great idea! I am going to forward this link to my sister with kids. 🙂
rhiannon
December 22, 2011
so cute! i love this!!
http://www.modernsuburbanites.blogspot.com
chiara
December 22, 2011
This is genius! I don’t know of one kid who wouldn’t LOVE this. Thanks for the idea – I think it might be my 4 yr-old’s next birthday party!
Jessie
December 22, 2011
Great idea!
Alicia
December 22, 2011
Thanks for explaining Boxing Day. We’ve never celebrated it here in Texas before but it looks fun and eco happy — good excuses to join in on the fun! 🙂
The real boxing day isn’t anything like this but its a fun thing to do with kids!
emily
December 22, 2011
I love this + would love to coordinate it for the family or in the neighborhood someday!
Hannah @ Sparrow + Spark!
December 22, 2011
This is so fun! We have always celebrated Boxing Day (I am in the UK) and it’s a great day- loads of leftovers, games and fun without the pressure of Christmas Day itself. Plus, you can play with your new toys 😉
michelle a
December 22, 2011
Adore this idea.
Ashlea Walter
December 22, 2011
What a great idea! Maybe we’ll arrange this with some friends and then we’ll take the boxes… we need them for a move in January!
Jennifer
December 22, 2011
oh my gosh. I have never heard of this ‘boxing day’ business but omg I wanna do it sooo bad sounds like so much fun! Yes I agree with you it is such a shame people don’t really do this in america .. it seems rare to have that kind of comminity here.. so sad! I’m moving to Canada. lol
I don’t think this is the traditional way to celebrate boxing day. It’s just a fun play on words!
mosey
December 24, 2011
That’s a cool way to celebrate boxing day! My family always celebrated Boxing Day by going to see a show of some sort – usually the Nutcracker. It’s a great day to move on from post-xmas…
Happy Holidays to you all!
Maria @ CheekyPinkTulip
December 27, 2011
We tend to try to get over our food comas on Boxing Day. But this looks like a MUCH better idea!
Maria xx
http://www.cheekypinktulip.blogspot.com
Catey
December 29, 2011
That sounds like tons of fun. My niece built a fort of boxes after Christmas and played with her new lantern and toys inside.
Isn’t boxing day traditionally when people get rid of their excess and give it to the needy? I could look it up I guess.