So it is my understanding that Boxing Day is because all the help has to work on Christmas, so they get their gifts and a day off the day after? Is this wrong? Because lawd I just know those fancy folks aren’t handling their own horses for a hunt on Boxing Day. What is the deal?
The Boxing Day tradition will vary from hunt to hunt. 
At my hunt Boxing Day is an unmounted, mid-day informal party where we honor the huntsman and kennelman with a cash gift to show appreciation for their time and effort in keeping the hounds and hunt country in tip top shape. We never hunt on Christmas Day. Boxing Day is usually the Sunday following Christmas. This year we held it the Sunday before since this coming Sunday is New Years Day.
Always interesting to read of different traditions within foxhunting. Here in the UK, Boxing Day is always the day after Christmas day (i.e. 26th Dec) and it is a very busy day for all kinds of sport: soccer, rugby, racing, mass runs with everyone dressed up as Father Christmas, swimming in freezing seas… We Brits take such matters seriously.
The Boxing Day Meet is a very busy one with lots of people who only go to that one meet each year, often somewhat the worse for wear, and have no intention of actually riding anywhere. Some packs do actually hunt, others move off down the road, with a toot or two and a cheer, and have a bit of a breeze and then go home. Depends on the hunt. It is really seen as an opportunity for hunting to meet the public. Huge crowds of people, often thousands, will turn to see hounds and horses in a market square or in front of some stately pile. Then everyone goes home and carries on eating.
The ‘box’ referred to Christmas perks for staff of all kinds that were traditionally distributed on the day after the 25th.
