What is Boxing Day? In the U.S., it's really just a day for sales

If you're here, you're wondering, "What is Boxing Day?" Perhaps you heard a snippet of a news broadcast about Boxing Day, or you saw some online retailer offering sales based on a day with unknown significance to you.

Whether you got here through Google or the front page of SFGATE, just know that Boxing Day has nothing to do with sweaty men pummeling one another's faces. It's a lot more civil—and a lot less sweaty. Think gifts, not fists.

Boxing Day meaning

The Oxford English Dictionary traces Boxing Day back to the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century as a day when regular folks gave tradespeople a Christmas box. That meant gifts for non-family people in their lives, like servants and postmen, similar to how some people give gifts to mail carriers or doormen today.

While the custom originated in the U.K., it's also observed in most other Commonwealth nations, like Canada and Australia. Basically, if they put an extra U in some words and pronounce "garage" funny, assume those people observe Boxing Day.

Here in the United States, Boxing Day never quite caught on. Americans were about 50 years out of being a colony when Boxing Day began, and Black Friday sales practically started when the Mayflower hit land. That last part was a joke—but Boxing Day doesn't mean much in the States, aside from one thing...

Boxing Day sales

A sale by any other name would sell as sweet, as the saying nearly goes. While retailers don't necessarily call out Boxing Day here in the U.S., plenty of them look to pile on to their bottom lines by clearing out inventory that didn't sell in the lead-up to Christmas.

For consumers, that means closeout prices on this season's stock. Just be aware, however, that many sales go even deeper into January. If gift cards are burning a hole in your stocking, by all means, spend. But it's not a bad idea to keep the powder dry for mid-January to get even steeper discounts.

With that in mind, here are a bunch of retailers with post-Christmas sales right now.

Abercrombie & Fitch: Up to 60 percent off, plus 25 percent off order with code 14990

Adidas: Extra 20 percent off sale items with code 20EXTRA

Allen Edmonds: Up to 50 percent off

ASOS: Up to 70 percent off, plus an extra 15 percent off with code ASOSSALEWANT

Banana Republic: Extra 60 percent off sale styles

Bergdorf Goodman: Up 75 percent off designer sale

Best Buy: Apple Shopping Event

Bloomingdale’s: Up to 75 percent off clearance items

Bonobos: Extra 40 percent off final sale items

Brooklinen: 10 percent off sitewide

Brooks Brothers: 50 percent off plus an additional 15 percent off

Casper: 10 percent off mattress orders

Clarks: Extra 30 percent off sale styles with code TAKE30

Club Monaco: End of season ale

Coach: 50 percent off all sale styles

Cultizm: 25 percent off with code XMAS25

DSW: Up to 25 percent off three items with code BCGIFTS

East Dane: Extra 30 percent off sale items with code TREAT

Eddie Bauer: Up to 60 percent off

END CLOTHING: Up to 60 percent off

Everlane: Annual "Choose What You Pay" event

Express: 50 percent off everything

Farfetch: Up to 60 percent off

Filson: At least 35 percent off

Finish Line: Up to 50 percent off shoes and clothing

Gap: 60 percent off markdowns with code MORE

Gilt: Up to 80 percent off dresses

GREATS: Up to 50 percent off

Guess: Eng of season sale

H&M: Up to 60 percent off

Hunter: Up to 50 percent off select styles

Indochino: Up to 40 percent off

J. Crew: Extra 50 percent off sales styles with code BIGSALE

J. Crew Factory: 40 to 60 percent off everything

Lacoste: 30 to 50 percent off

La Garçonne: Extra 20 percent off select sales styles with code yearend20

Levi’s: Up to 50 percent off select sales styles

Lucky Brand: Up to 75 percent off sale styles

Madewell: Extra 30 percent off sale styles and 20 percent off full-price items

Matches Fashion: Up to 60 percent off

Moda Operandi: Extra 25 percent off sale items with code X25

MooseJaw:: Up to 40 percent off

Nautica: Up to 70 percent off

Need Supply: 20 percent off sitewide

Neiman Marcus: Up to 60 percent off with code DECSAVE

Neiman Marcus Last Call: Extra 60 to 80 percent off clearance

New Balance: Semi-annual sale

Nike: 20 percent off sale styles with code GOBIG

Nordstrom: Half-yearly sale, up to 50 percent off

Nordstrom Rack: Clear The Rack sale with extra 25 percent off clearance items

Opening Ceremony: Extra 40 percent off sale items with code 40EXTRA

Orvis: Up to 50 percent off and free shipping with no minimum with code SHIPFREE

Outerknown: Up to 60 percent off

Rag & Bone: Extra 30 percent off with code HANGOVER

Reebok: Extra 50 to 60 percent off markdowns with code GETDOWN

Ralph Lauren: Extra 30 percent off sale styles

The Real Real: Extra 20 percent off with code REAL

Saks Fifth Avenue: Up to 70 percent off designer items

Saks Off 5th: Extra 40 percent off clearance

Shoes.com: 25 percent off with code BYE2019

SSENSE: Up to 70 percent off

Superdry: Up to 50 percent off

Taylor Stitch: Up to 20 percent off plus $20 site credit

Ted Baker: The BIG sale

Target: Great winter clearance dash

Todd Snyder: 30 percent off sitewid with code CYBER30

Tom Ford: Up to 50 percent off on final sale items

Tommy John: Up to 40 percent off final sale items

Topman: Up to 60 percent off

Uniqlo: End of season clearance

Urban Outfitters: Extra 30 percent off sale items

Victoria's Secret: Semi-annual sale with 40 to 70 percent off

Vineyard Vines: Extra 30 percent off sale items with code WHALE30

SFGATE participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.

Ryan Craggs is the Director of Content Marketing for Hearst Newspapers. Email him at ryan.craggs@hearst.com