St. Stephen's Day

The St. Stephen's Day, Boxing Day, St. Stephen's rarely Stephanustag, is celebrated on December 26th in the liturgy of the Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, Anglican and the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church as a day of remembrance of the martyrdom of the holy deacon Stephen. The liturgical color of the day is red accordingly. In some parts of Germany the day is called Boxing Day in Commonwealth Boxing Day.

If December 26 falls on a Sunday, in the Roman Catholic Church, the feast of St. Stephen, the Feast of the Holy Family is displaced, except in the Archdiocese of Vienna, where the feast of the diocesan patron Stephen is always celebrated.

In the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Stephen's Day is celebrated on December 27.

Dissemination

The Feast of Stephen, the first Christian martyr (Acts 6.1 to 8.2 AU) on 26 December spread between the 5th and 7th centuries in the Eastern and Western Church. The festival of Christmas was in the Liturgy later, the earliest from the 8th century, an octave, but in which falling in this time existing saints' feasts - the Comites Christi (Latin for " companions of Christ" ), namely, Stephen, John the Evangelist (27 December) and the Innocents (December 28 ) -. remained.

Even in evangelical churches in Germany is thought in some worship services at Stephen, because " the memory of the Erzmärtyrers Stephen [ ... ] a longer tradition than the Christmas [ is ] this day. It should not be completely displaced by Boxing Day, but if possible in a church service that day (possibly in the evening) committed. "Other agendas such as bathing (1995 ) or the Palatinate (2006) or the Reformed Liturgy (1999) see this not expressly provide.

In the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Württemberg of Erzmärtyrers Stephen is celebrated the " Day of Prayer for persecuted Christians" since 2007 on the day. Since 2012 Stephen Day is celebrated as a day of prayer for persecuted and oppressed Christians in the Roman Catholic German dioceses.

In Switzerland, the St. Stephen 's in most of the cantons (historic Reformed and Catholic, see " Holidays in Switzerland " ) is a special Sunday official holiday. Special rules apply when three Sundays arising from the constellation holiday with the weekend in a row.

Customs

In Roman Catholic tradition places existed until well into the 20th century, numerous customs that take on 26 December on the person of the saint whose ( traditional ) Biography and circumstances of death in particular its reference. For example, the " stoning of Stephen ," especially the male population refers to the particular drinking rituals after church. Some of these customs are maintained in a reduced form even in the 21st century.

Other days nominations

In Ireland, December 26 is a public holiday and is called in English St Stephen's Day. In Irish it is called Lá either Fhéile Stiofáin ( the day of celebration Stephan ) or Lá to Dreoilín ( day of the wren / Snow King ). In the United Kingdom and several Commonwealth countries called the December 26 Boxing Day.