In Ireland, Boxing Day is also known as what?

In Ireland, Boxing Day is also known as St. Stephen’s Day, or Saint Stephen’s Day.

The date is 26 December, the second day of Christmastide in Western Christianity. It commemorates Saint Stephen, regarded in Christian tradition as the first Christian martyr. His feast day is observed on 26 December, so Saint Stephen’s Day and Boxing Day fall on the same date even though their names reflect different religious and cultural traditions.

In the Republic of Ireland, Saint Stephen’s Day is one of the country’s ten official public holidays. The name is shortened informally to Stephen’s Day, and in parts of Ireland the day is also called Wren Day. That name refers to the old custom of Wrenboys carrying a decorated staff and parading with a wren, although live birds are no longer hunted for the tradition.

The terminology varies geographically. Most of Ireland uses Saint Stephen’s Day, while Boxing Day is more common in much of Ulster, especially Northern Ireland and County Donegal. St. David’s Day belongs to Wales, St. Andrew’s Day to Scotland, and St. Patrick’s Day is Ireland’s better-known national feast on 17 March.