Boxing Day dates back to the 17th century when wealthy landowners would box up gifts to present to their loyal staff as a sign of their gratitude. Fast forward a few centuries, and it is still filled with customs, albeit slightly different.
Be it slipping into your waxed Barbour for a lengthy walk to battle any impacts of the endless helpings of Turkey at luncheon the day before; sliding into the saddle with a drink of port; or heading to a private island after a long journey in your private jet, the upper classes know how to get through any post-Christmas blues. However, as nice as a Boxing Day walk sounds, our advice would always be to go away.
Breakfast
Certainly don’t bother making yourself a breakfast because we’re sure you don’t have much time before jetting off. You may either grab freshly made pastries from the closest artisan bakery or have Cook prepare a large breakfast for you before your trip.
So, where are you off to?
Well, the world isn’t quite your oyster at the moment, considering pandemic-related restrictions but you’ve certainly got options. The real question is, winter sun or snow?
If it’s winter sun you’re in search of after a rather stressful year, take inspiration from the Marchioness of Bath, who jets to Mustique, her close friend Lady Kitty Spencer, who can be found in South Africa, and Ayesha Shand, who visits the nature reserve Cultimaxa in Mexico.
Still yearning for a taste of British tradition while travelling? Set up a UK-inspired Boxing Day tablescape, à la India Hicks in the Bahamas, complete with tartan, pine cones, and red-ribboned crackers.
For some, Christmas is not complete without a dusting of snow, oozing fondue beside the slopes, or dancing on the tables at après.
Talita von Furstenberg can be found riding in the back of a husky sleigh through the mountains in Aspen, Eugenie Niarchos can be found eating dinner in her family’s chalet in St Moritz followed by fireworks on Boxing Day, or skincare guru Barbara Sturm‘s daughter, Charly, can be found on the slopes in Gstaad with a mulled wine in her hand.
Whatever you do this Boxing Day – or more appropriate is probably wherever you end up – make sure it exudes luxury and relaxation. We’re sure you’ll need that after being waited on hand and foot over Christmas!
SEE MORE: FIVE WELLNESS RETREATS TO PAMPER THE SOUL THIS CHRISTMAS
Updated October 2026: what the upper classes actually do on Boxing Day, and the 2026 dates
The upper classes spend Boxing Day out of doors and away from the shops: church if the family keeps it up, then a meet, a shoot or a day at the races, and failing all three a long walk followed by cold turkey and pickle. Boxing Day 2026 falls on a Saturday, which suits the racing and the hunts and does nothing for the sales.
The Boxing Day meet
Since the Hunting Act 2004 the hounds have followed a laid scent rather than a fox, an arrangement called trail hunting, and the meet itself, with riders, hounds, port and a crowd in the village square, is the part that survived intact. The Countryside Alliance described Boxing Day 2025 as a day of “large crowds and incredible scenes around the country”, which is the Alliance’s way of saying the villages still turn out.
It may be one of the last on present terms. The government consulted on proposals to prohibit trail hunting in England and Wales, and the consultation has closed. The law has not changed since, so the 2026 meets go ahead as before, and anyone who wants to see one in its current form should not leave it another year.
The shoot
Pheasant may be shot in England until the first day of February, according to Shooting Times’ table of the game seasons, so a Boxing Day drive sits squarely inside the season, and for most estates it is the best-attended day of it. The guests who were at the table on Christmas Day are the same ones standing in a line of pegs the morning after.
Racing instead of retail
The sales are, in our view, what the upper classes leave to everyone else. Their substitute is Kempton Park, where the King George VI Chase is run on Saturday 26 December 2026, the Grade 1 showpiece of a two-day Christmas festival, with the Desert Orchid Chase on the Sunday. The 2025 running was won by The Jukebox Man, a name that would have done for a Boxing Day guest in any decade.
So the rule for 2026 is simple. Go to the meet, the drive or the racecourse, and be home before the cold cuts are put away.
