Christian Holidays · Christmastide
St Stephen's Day
The day after Christmas, remembering Stephen, the first Christian martyr.
When: 26 December in the West; 27 December in the East
Origin and history
According to the Acts of the Apostles, Stephen was one of seven men chosen in the early church at Jerusalem to look after the daily sharing of food with widows. He became known for his preaching, was accused of blasphemy, and was stoned to death, so Christians honour him as the protomartyr, or first martyr. Saul of Tarsus, who later became the apostle Paul, was a witness. In the West, Saint Stephen's Day is the second day of Christmas.
Customs
- It is a public holiday in many countries, including Ireland, Austria, Germany, Italy, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland.
- In the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and other countries the same day is kept as Boxing Day.
- In the Isle of Man and parts of Ireland it is also known as Wren Day.
How traditions differ
Western churches keep the feast on 26 December and Eastern churches on 27 December; churches using the Julian calendar mark it on what is 9 January in the civil calendar.
In the library
Works: The Bible
More in Christmastide
Sources checked: Saint Stephen's Day (Wikipedia); Saint Stephen (Wikipedia).