National Pickle Day 2024 is on Thursday, November 14, 2024: Do you think that the US has way too many random National Holidays?

Thursday, November 14, 2024 is National Pickle Day 2024. National Pickle Day by xXdixonXx on deviantART National Pickle Day by

Sponsored Deals

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Yes I think all these "days" are ridiculous.

Great question!

can anybody tell this Canadian lady , the significance of Boxing Day ?

Boxing Day is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Hong Kong, countries in the Commonwealth of Nations with a mainly Christian population, and parts of the United States. In South Africa, this public holiday is now known as the Day of Goodwill. It is based on the tradition of giving gifts to the less fortunate members of society. Contemporary Boxing Day in many countries is now a "shopping holiday" associated with after-Christmas sales.

******************************************************************

Despite its name, Boxing Day, which is celebrated on December 26 in Great Britain, has nothing to do with pugilistic competition. Nor is it a day for people to return unwanted Christmas presents. While the exact origins of the holiday are obscure, it is likely that Boxing Day began in England during the Middle Ages.

Some historians say the holiday developed because servants were required to work on Christmas Day, but took the following day off. As servants prepared to leave to visit their families, their employers would present them with gift boxes.

Church Alms Boxes

Another theory is that the boxes placed in churches where parishioners deposited coins for the poor were opened and the contents distributed on December 26, which is also the Feast of St. Stephen.

As time went by, Boxing Day gift giving expanded to include those who had rendered a service during the previous year. This tradition survives today as people give presents to tradesmen, mail carriers, doormen, porters, and others who have helped them.

The Day after Christmas

Boxing Day is December 26, the day after Christmas, and is celebrated in Great Britain and in most areas settled by the English (the U.S. is the major exception), including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

******************************************************************

Boxing Day history goes back at least to Medieval times in Britain. Whereas Christmas was a day for celebrating Christ's nativity, Boxing Day, or St Stephen's Day, was the time for giving and receiving gifts. For the ordinary country working man, a Boxing Day present from the lord of the manor was particularly welcome. Incidentally, the 26th of December is also known as St Stephen's Day.

The origin of Boxing Day has nothing to with the art of pugilism, and everything to do with 'Christmas Box'. The idea started with a clay box used in artisan workshops. Apprentices, their masters, and their customers, would put gratuities into the box, which acted like a 'piggy bank'. Then on the day after celebrating Christmas, the box would be ceremonial smashed and the money shared among the workers. Thus the origin of Boxing Day was all to do with a Christmas present or bonus. The phrase 'Christmas box' lives on as gift householders give to postmen, paperboys and dustbin [garbage collectors] that visit their home.

Nowadays people open their presents on Christmas Day, thus Boxing Day traditions involve visiting members of the wider family circle on 26th December, one by-product is having two Christmas meals in two days. Will and Guy are unsure if turkey is more tasty hot on Christmas Day, or cold with mashed potato and pickle on Boxing Day.

Best Pickled Onion recipe?

Perfect Pickled Onion Recipe :-

Pickled onions are a national treasure - everyone loves them. They are eaten with fish and chips, on a Ploughman's Lunch, pies, and many other savory dishes. There are hundreds of commercial varieties but nothing beats a jar of homemade pickled onions.

Tiny pickling or buttons onions are available in the autumn and if prepared and stored are perfect by Boxing Day to eat with cold meats or pork pie.

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Requires overnight soaking: 24 hours

Total Time: 25 hours, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

* 2¼ lbs/ 1 kg pickling onions, peeled (see note below)

* 4 tsp pickling spices or

* ½ tsp coriander seeds, ½ tsp mustard seed, ½ tsp black peppercorns, ½ tsp dried chili flakes

* 1 oz / 27g salt

* 35 fl oz/ 1 litre malt vinegar

* 6 oz/ 170g sugar

Preparation:

NOTE: Peeling pickling onions is fiddly and time consuming. To speed up the process top and tail the onions, then place the onions in a large heatproof bowl and pour over boiling water to cover. Leave to cool and hey presto, the skins will just rub away. Do not leave in the water once cool or the onions will start to go mushy.

* Sprinkle the salt over the peeled onions, stir and leave overnight. Next day (do not leave longer than overnight if you want your onions to be crisp) rinse the onions and dry with kitchen towel.

* Place the spices, vinegar and sugar into a large stainless steel pan. Heat to dissolve the sugar but do not boil.

* Pack the onions into clean, sterilized jars. Pour over the vinegar and spice liquid to fill the jars, make sure each jar has pickling spices in and check there are no air pockets. Seal the jars and leave to cool.

* The onions will be ready to eat after about one month or better if kept for two. Once opened store in a refrigerator.