Boxing Day, 2019

So many of the great old traditions are falling by the wayside. But here at clerkmanifesto we refuse to let them fade away. And though for awhile some of these cultural conventions seemed arcane and even offensive, in these new times, with new understandings of mistakenly discredited institutions like Feudalism and Servitude, it is only appropriate that we revive the grand old observances of the past.

And that is why today, here at clerkmanifesto, we are celebrating Boxing Day!

Boxing Day isn't about us, it's about the little people. It's about the people who toil in our kitchens and laundry rooms. It's about the people who answer our doors and lay out our clothes for dressing and keep our hedges clipped and trimmed. It's about the washerwomen who polish our floors each morning at six a.m. and about the scullery maids polishing our silver. It's about the footmen who serve us and our guests at table, all in quiet anonymity. It's about my sommelier who calmly indulges my obsession with French Champagnes and obscure vintages. And it's about my Master of the House who I consult with so closely I could almost call him my friend, if only it weren't inappropriate, and if I could remember his name.

And so Boxing Day is for them. I let them (outside of the essential barebones staff) all have the day off. And I box up gifts for them; usually leftovers from our Christmas Feast and a crisp five or ten dollar bill.

I encourage you and yours to do the same. As we bring back some of the most elegant traditions of the past, let us not stint.

Let's bring them all back.