Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Since when do we call the 26th of December "Boxing day" in Ireland?

Options
  • 27-12-2012 8:57pm
    #1
    seanpjs93
    Registered Users Posts: 67 ✭✭


    I've never heard anyone in Ireland refer to the 26th as "Boxing Day" especially media outlets until this morning when I was reading the latest on Google News, I had thought initially it was a British paper article, but when I clicked the link it brought me to the Irish Independent's website. Have I missed something here and we refer to it as "Boxing Day" here too now?

    http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/national-news/higgins-pays-tribute-to-odriscoll-3337516.html


«1

Comments

  • Options
    #2
    RossyG
    Registered Users Posts: 297 ✭✭RossyG


    Boxing Day is better than St Stephen's as it's easier for me to pronounce. I have trouble with ssssibilant ssssoundsssss.


  • Options
    #3
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,113 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    Nooooooo! I've only just got the hang of calling it Stephens Day.


  • Options
    #4
    theteal
    Registered Users Posts: 7,593 ✭✭✭theteal


    With atheism on the rise it was bound to happen in fairness


  • Options
    #5
    GreenWolfe
    Registered Users Posts: 1,731 ✭✭✭GreenWolfe


    If you look at the end of the article it was obtained from a UK news agency, the Press Association. Mystery solved, methinks.


  • Options
    #6
    Sam Kade
    Registered Users Posts: 12,313 ✭✭✭✭Sam Kade


    theteal wrote: »
    With atheism on the rise it was bound to happen in fairness
    It's the first weekday after Christmas day in the UK, how exactly do you connect it with atheism?


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    IRE60
    Registered Users Posts: 1,880 ✭✭✭IRE60


    two culprits

    a) the author : Press Association
    b) lazy subbing

    C


  • Options
    #8
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    IRE60 wrote: »
    two culprits

    a) the author : Press Association
    b) lazy subbing

    C

    There's only one culprit, you can hardly blame the PA since their main market is the UK and over there it's called Boxing Day.

    It's not hard to find instances of where the Indo simply lifts articles written by journos for a UK audience without checking it for suitability for verbatim reproduction for an Irish audience.

    Here's a few examples....

    http://www.independent.ie/search/?q=londonderry


  • Options
    #9
    jack presley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,687 ✭✭✭✭jack presley


    Independent.ie is an awful website. Too much reliance on news agency stories that are treated as home stories even if they're from the UK and too much interest in b-list celebrity stories. Yesterday they had Kathryn Thomas in the sun, today it was Amanda Byrum skiing. Who cares?

    EDIT - check out this groundbreaking news story currently breaking on the Indo website.

    http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/independent-woman/celebrity-news-gossip/laura-whitmore-loses-her-phone-on-the-piste-in-switzerland-3342286.html


  • Options
    #10
    Luca Brasi
    Registered Users Posts: 300 ✭✭Luca Brasi


    Boxing Day is a a great day for having a second listen to the Queens Speech


  • Options
    #11
    Tombo2001
    Registered Users Posts: 6,494 ✭✭✭Tombo2001


    A neat extension of the 'Why would an Irish person wear a poppy' thread.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    iverjohnston
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,242 ✭✭✭iverjohnston


    For people living near the Border, where for many years the BBC analog channels were available by sticking up an ariel, the Christmas issue of the TV Times, or the Radio Times would be bought. As the signal was not available to most of the rest of the country, no listings were published in most local papers for the 3 channels available (bbc1, bbc2 & utv) It was of course always called boxing day in the TV times, so perhaps the name stuck in these areas?


  • Options
    #13
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    iverjohnston wrote: »
    For people living near the Border, where for many years the BBC analog channels were available by sticking up an ariel, the Christmas issue of the TV Times, or the Radio Times would be bought. As the signal was not available to most of the rest of the country, no listings were published in most local papers for the 3 channels available (bbc1, bbc2 & utv) It was of course always called boxing day in the TV times, so perhaps the name stuck in these areas?

    It's also called 'Boxing Day' in the Radio Times and in the TV listings of UK papers which people in the south consume by the truckload but you still won't hear anyone down here call Dec 26th anything other than 'St. Stephen's Day'.

    Do the locals in Cushendall or West Belfast talk about a city called 'Londonderry'? Didn't think so, that's your theory out the window.


  • Options
    #14
    iverjohnston
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,242 ✭✭✭iverjohnston


    [QUOTE=coylemj;.

    Do the locals in Cushendall or West Belfast talk about a city called 'Londonderry'? Didn't think so, that's your theory out the window.[/QUOTE]


    Well coylemj, it was only a theory I was advancing, not claiming it was a definitive fact. What has the habits/choices of people in a selective region of Northern Ireland got to do with a question about the choice of name for a particular day by people in the Republic?


  • Options
    #15
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    iverjohnston wrote: »
    Well coylemj, it was only a theory I was advancing, not claiming it was a definitive fact. What has the habits/choices of people in a selective region of Northern Ireland got to do with a question about the choice of name for a particular day by people in the Republic?

    You said in reference to people living in border areas who picked up BBC & UTV....
    iverjohnston wrote: »
    It was of course always called boxing day in the TV times, so perhaps the name stuck in these areas?

    My point is that people in NI were also exposed to constant references to 'Londonderry' but choose to apply their own name to the city. The same applies to people in the south who watch UK TV and read vast loads of UK newspapers and magazines yet we still refuse to use the term 'Boxing Day'.

    If you read the entire thread you'll see that there is actually no cultural issue here, the Irish Independent lifted a story from a UK source which referred to 'Boxing Day', that's how the confusion arose.


  • Options
    #16
    Conway635
    Registered Users Posts: 400 ✭✭Conway635


    Kind of related:

    I was, for a number of years, the Irish correspondent for a UK trade magazine. They had quite a few subscribers in the Republic, so though it would be a good idea to have at least one full page of ROI news/photos each week, written by someone on the ground.

    The problems I had with the English sub editors . . .

    Garda / Gardai and when each is appropriate.

    The Dail . . . I had someone change a piece from "Martin Cullen announced in the Dail on Tuesday" to "Martin Cullen told The Mail newspaper on Tuesday"

    and I cringed when seeing my description of a remote village in Donegal changed to "a quaint moorland hamlet"

    C635


  • Options
    #17
    IRE60
    Registered Users Posts: 1,880 ✭✭✭IRE60


    I was on the Tec/Production/pre-press end of a paper here and we used to take in copy from the UK.
    Always had to be on the lookout for "our boys" referring to British army soldiers! Or if there was a football international on there was a huge rise in the copy to references to 1966!


  • Options
    #18
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    IRE60 wrote: »
    I was on the Tec/Production/pre-press end of a paper here and we used to take in copy from the UK.
    Always had to be on the lookout for "our boys" referring to British army soldiers! Or if there was a football international on there was a huge rise in the copy to references to 1966!

    Clearly the Indo doesn't bother with that type of filtering these days, what they lift from their UK sources goes straight onto the presses here - 'Boxing Day', 'Londonderry' - sure it's all grand, who'll notice anyway?


  • Options
    #19
    SiegfriedsMum
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 97 ✭✭SiegfriedsMum


    I have noticed in recent years in Ireland a rise in the Steven's Day gestapo, people who leap down the throats of anyone who doesn't call December 26th "St Steven's Day", and who insist everyone else conform to their demands to call it "St Steven's Day".

    They don't seem to be too concerned about what other call other saints days, or whether or not people conform to not calling Ascension Thursday by the name they consider the "proper" name, but for some strange reason they have very strong and even aggressive views about forcing everyone to call December 26th "St Steven's Day".


  • Options
    #20
    jack presley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,687 ✭✭✭✭jack presley


    SiegfriedsMum wrote: »
    I have noticed in recent years in Ireland a rise in the Steven's Day gestapo, people who leap down the throats of anyone who doesn't call December 26th "St Steven's Day", and who insist everyone else conform to their demands to call it "St Steven's Day".

    They don't seem to be too concerned about what other call other saints days, or whether or not people conform to not calling Ascension Thursday by the name they consider the "proper" name, but for some strange reason they have very strong and even aggressive views about forcing everyone to call December 26th "St Steven's Day".
    To be fair, most people call it St. Stephenses Day and not St. Stephen's Day


  • Options
    #21
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    SiegfriedsMum wrote: »
    I have noticed in recent years in Ireland a rise in the Steven's Day gestapo, people who leap down the throats of anyone who doesn't call December 26th "St Steven's Day", and who insist everyone else conform to their demands to call it "St Steven's Day".

    Whatever you choose to call Dec 26th, you might at least spell the name correctly, it's Stephen, not Steven.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #22
    westies4ever
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,456 ✭✭✭westies4ever


    SiegfriedsMum wrote: »
    I have noticed in recent years in Ireland a rise in the Steven's Day gestapo, people who leap down the throats of anyone who doesn't call December 26th "St Steven's Day", and who insist everyone else conform to their demands to call it "St Steven's Day".

    This - Im from the North originally (catholic) and I call it Boxing day - everyone in the North does. I get corrected all the time for it but it just comes automatically.


  • Options
    #23
    SiegfriedsMum
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 97 ✭✭SiegfriedsMum


    coylemj wrote: »
    Whatever you choose to call Dec 26th, you might at least spell the name correctly, it's Stephen, not Steven.

    My goodness, now the st steven's gestapo are even instructing us how to spell it! My understanding is Stephen can be spelled Steven or Stephen, as in St Steven's Catholic Community or St Steven's Serbian Orthodox Cathedral. However, if you feel so strongly about it you insist everyone spells it your preferred way, then that's your preference. I prefer diversity and tolerance myself.


  • Options
    #24
    jack presley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,687 ✭✭✭✭jack presley


    SiegfriedsMum wrote: »
    My goodness, now the st steven's gestapo are even instructing us how to spell it! My understanding is Stephen can be spelled Steven or Stephen, as in St Steven's Catholic Community or St Steven's Serbian Orthodox Cathedral. However, if you feel so strongly about it you insist everyone spells it your preferred way, then that's your preference. I prefer diversity and tolerance myself.

    Good work with the Google there to get yourself out of it.


  • Options
    #25
    SiegfriedsMum
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 97 ✭✭SiegfriedsMum


    jack presley wrote: »
    Good work with the Google there to get yourself out of it.

    I was never in it! I am fully aware that Stephen can be spelled Steven or Stephen, and I am sort of amused that the spelling Gestapo instructs us to spell it the way they prefer. Ireland used to be a tolerant country, but now we have all these guys going around bossing everyone else and barking instructions to them.


  • Options
    #26
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    SiegfriedsMum wrote: »
    I was never in it! I am fully aware that Stephen can be spelled Steven or Stephen, and I am sort of amused that the spelling Gestapo instructs us to spell it the way they prefer. Ireland used to be a tolerant country, but now we have all these guys going around bossing everyone else and barking instructions to them.

    Hankering back to the good old days when we were a tolerant society while at the same time labelling people you disagree with as the 'Gestapo' is a bit two-faced.

    People in glasshouses.....


  • Options
    #27
    SiegfriedsMum
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 97 ✭✭SiegfriedsMum


    coylemj wrote: »
    Hankering back to the good old days when we were a tolerant society while at the same time labelling people you disagree with as the 'Gestapo' is a bit two-faced.

    People in glasshouses.....

    I neither agreed or disagreed with your desire, and instructions, for everyone to conform to your preferred spelling. There is nothing two-faced about being amused by what I referred to as the "spelling gestapo".

    Part of the way the Gestapo behaved was to bark instructions and order others to obey them, and your barking instructions and ordering others to use your preferred spelling is why I labelled you the "spelling Gestapo".


  • Options
    #28
    IRE60
    Registered Users Posts: 1,880 ✭✭✭IRE60


    Well, there are derivative spelling of many names - cultural differences take a hand.

    But its called St. Stephen's Day and perhaps not St. Stefan's Day as it is in Poland.

    Try not throwing stones at the Gestapo because you spelled it improperly. Don't go off on one: "conform to your preferred spelling" - its not his preferred spelling - it is the spelling. You cant simply deviate - because it suits your argument after being shot down.

    Siegfried - since you're writing your own rules on naming conversions

    On the 17th of March its

    Happy St (please select)
    Nabil
    Patirki
    Padrig
    Patrik
    Patrici
    Patrik
    Patrik
    Patriek
    Patrick
    Patrik
    Pátrikur
    Patrik
    Patric
    Patrik
    Patrikios
    Patrik
    Patrekur
    Pádraic
    Patrizio
    Patricius
    Patriks
    Patrikas
    Patrizju
    Pherick
    Patrik
    Patryk
    Patrício
    Patriciu
    Patrik
    Pàdraig
    Patrik
    Patrik
    Patricio
    Patrik
    Patricio
    Patrik
    Padrig

    Day

    ?

    Be my guest "renaming" that day as well...


  • Options
    #29
    SiegfriedsMum
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 97 ✭✭SiegfriedsMum


    IRE60 wrote: »
    Well, there are derivative spelling of many names - cultural differences take a hand.

    But its called St. Stephen's Day and perhaps not St. Stefan's Day as it is in Poland.

    Try not throwing stones at the Gestapo because you spelled it improperly. Don't go off on one: "conform to your preferred spelling" - its not his preferred spelling - it is the spelling. You cant simply deviate - because it suits your argument after being shot down.

    Siegfried - since you're writing your own rules on naming conversions

    On the 17th of March its

    Happy St (please select)
    Nabil
    Patirki
    Padrig
    Patrik
    Patrici
    Patrik
    Patrik
    Patriek
    Patrick
    Patrik
    Pátrikur
    Patrik
    Patric
    Patrik
    Patrikios
    Patrik
    Patrekur
    Pádraic
    Patrizio
    Patricius
    Patriks
    Patrikas
    Patrizju
    Pherick
    Patrik
    Patryk
    Patrício
    Patriciu
    Patrik
    Pàdraig
    Patrik
    Patrik
    Patricio
    Patrik
    Patricio
    Patrik
    Padrig

    Day

    ?

    Be my guest "renaming" that day as well...

    I dont need your permission to name, or rename, something.

    If you, too, think you not only have a monopoly on "correct" spelling and also to instruct others to obey your dictat, that's entirely a matter for you and of no concern to anyone else.

    Not being a catholic, I have little interest or knowledge of saints days, so am the worst person to ask about the dates of all your various saints.


  • Options
    #30
    IRE60
    Registered Users Posts: 1,880 ✭✭✭IRE60


    SiegfriedsMum wrote: »
    I dont need your permission to name, or rename, something.

    If you, too, think you not only have a monopoly on "correct" spelling and also to instruct others to obey your dictat, that's entirely a matter for you and of no concern to anyone else.

    Not being a catholic, I have little interest or knowledge of saints days, so am the worst person to ask about the dates of all your various saints.

    I find much of the above bordering on hysterical and some of the statement particularly redundant to the issue at hand. The issue of spelling has little to do with faith, it's to do with accuracy.

    Yet again, I have some sympathy for poor Siegfried. The histrionics here dictate that I leave this "conversation" that has, IMO, gone off the rails.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #31
    SiegfriedsMum
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 97 ✭✭SiegfriedsMum


    IRE60 wrote: »
    The histrionics here dictate that I leave this "conversation" that has, IMO, gone off the rails.

    Is that the cyber equivalent of storming out of a room with a parting shot and slamming the door behind you, ensuring that no one is able to discuss further with you and you get the last word?

    I think that's what the psycho jonnies call "passive aggressive".


Advertisement