Across the pond and north of the border, the British and Canadians go us Americans one better on end-of-year holidays, throwing an extra day in the mix.
Dec. 26, they and most other British Commonwealth countries celebrate Boxing Day.
If you’re not at all familiar with the day, no, it’s not a celebration of day-after-Christmas regifting, making store returns, or looking for post-Christmas sales specials, although it has taken on that last as a secondary meaning. Nor has Muhammad Ali gained a date on British and Canadian calendars.
Instead, it’s a day for employers to give gifts to employees. It apparently stemmed from an older, medieval custom of feudal lords giving end-of-year gifts to their serfs, and even in some cases working alongside them for a day; various folk etymologies try to tie the modern name to those older traditions.
The reversal of social roles behind Boxing Day ultimately extends back to the Roman Saturnalia festival.
Roman patricians eschewed their togas during Saturnalia; picture a suited-up boss going along with the rest of the workplace on casual Fridays. All Romans wore a cap normally worn only by freed slaves. Slaves were allowed to show some degree of disrespect to their masters, and even ate with, or were served by, their owners.
In other words, if only for a day, and if itself socially controlled, the Roman world was shaken up like a snow globe.
I think we need this in America. April Fool’s Day is a good day for practical joking, but it is not really a day of jest at society as a whole. And, given the way Christmas has become more commercialized, and American society risks becoming more stratified, we need a day of thumbing our collective nose at social convention.
I especially like the part about role reversals between bosses and employees, or other social relationships. With that in mind, and in the spirit of Boxing Day and its ultimate predecessor, Saturnalia, I offer some Dec. 26 switches for you.
• George Bush and Dick Cheney. After all, many liberals have insisted that Darth Vader is the real éminence grise behind W., so why not make it official for a day? Or, if Uncle Fester declines, I’m sure Karl Rove would be a suitable replacement.
And, in the spirit of bipartisanship, at the local level …
• Dallas County Judge Jim Foster and Dallas County District 3 Commissioner John Wiley Price. After all, with his “Foster Gump” lapel button, we already know what Price thinks of this idea.
• Wade Phillips, head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, and his quarterbacks coach, Jason Garrett. Many Cowboys fans already would like to move Garrett into the top job, and not just for one day. So, why not let Jason have a shot against the Philadelphia Iggles?
• Jason Kidd and Devin Harris. Now that Harris is getting a chance to show his stuff in New Jersey – and succeeding – maybe we could perform a role reversal on the trade that brought Kidd here.
• The Texas Lottery and “we the people.” Every Texas resident of legal age gets one free lottery ticket, with a chance for a personal role reversal by hitting the jackpot.
• Parents and their children. Kiddos get one free day of setting the meal menus and staying up as late as they want. (After coming down off the sugar high and staying up too late, parents will get the gift of their kids going to bed early the next night.)
• You and yourself. Tired of some of the social roles you play, whether as parent, spouse, employee, committee member or whatever? Give yourself permission to act differently for a day.
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