Boxing Day 2022

Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated the day after Christmas Day.

Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday, sort of our Black Friday. 

Many people wait until then to buy their Christmas presents***.

It originated in Great Britain and is celebrated in a number of countries that previously formed part of the British Empire.

But there is more to the day than shopping.
There is Boxing Day Test match which is a cricket match held in Melbourne, Victoria, involving the Australian cricket team and an opposing national team that is touring Australia during the southern summer, this year, the South African Proteas*.

It is an annual event and is played at the Melbourne Cricket Grounds (MCG).
It’s a must watch on TV for all cricket fans who are unable to make it in person.

And there is the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, an annual event hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, New South Wales, down the east coast and across the notorious Bass Strait and finishing in Hobart, Tasmania. The race distance is approximately 630 nautical miles (1,170 km).
It is widely considered to be one of the most difficult yacht races in the world.

This event has grown over the decades, since the inaugural race in 1945, to become one of the top three offshore yacht races in the world, and it now attracts maxi yachts from all around the globe.

The prize is The George Adams Tattersall Cup, awarded to the ultimate winner of the handicap competition based on the length, shape, weight and sail dimensions of the yacht. Much public attention however, focuses on the race for "line honours" – the first boat across the finishing line, typically the newest and largest Maxi yacht in the fleet.
The start in Sydney Harbour and the initial part race through Sydney Heads and the turn south is very spectacular and covered by multiple TV cameras on shore, on spectator craft, on the boats themselves and from the air.
Even for non sailing fans it’s worth an hour or so viewing**.

It’s also the day a lot of city folk escape suburbia and head for, usually, their favourite coastal destination to start their summer holidays.

The population in our area increases fourfold until the end of January.

Traffic jams on major highways are the name of the game and journey times can be double the normal.

As a result of the influx of tourists our roads are clogged and beaches crowded.

Not our favourite time of the year.

But they bring their money with them which is good for local businesses. And after 2 years of covid disruption, they need it.

UPDATE: 30/12/22

*Australia beat South Africa by an innings and 182 runs with a day to spare and take a 2-0 lead the 3 match series.

** Andoo Comanche has won line honours in the 77th edition of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

The 100-foot yacht crossed the River Derwent finish line just before 1am on Wednesday 28/12 (AEDT) with a time of one day, 11 hours, 56 minutes and 48 seconds.

 Celestial has been crowned the overall winner of the 2022 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, winning in an adjusted time of 2 days, 16 hours, 35 minutes and 26 seconds just a year after being stripped of top spot following a time penalty. The TP52 yacht from Sydney was the 14th to arrive in Hobart just before 11.30am on Wednesday.

***AAP is reporting Australians have spent a record $75bn in the lead-up to Christmas but the spending frenzy didn’t stop there.
The Australian Retailers Association also recorded unprecedented growth on Boxing Day with the $1.2bn spend equating to 15% more than last year.

2022 was the biggest festive season spending on record.