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Observance · not a public holiday in Ethiopia

Saint Stephens Day

Saint Stephens Day is not an official public holiday in Ethiopia. The date shown is when it falls globally; it may be observed privately or culturally. See Ethiopia's official public holidays →
ቅዳሜ, 26 ዲሴምበር 2026
in 164 days
Also known as: Boxing Day (UK) · Wren Day (Ireland) · Stefanitag
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Saint Stephen's Day, December 26, honors Saint Stephen — the first Christian martyr. It is widely observed across Catholic and Orthodox Europe (often as a continuation of Christmas) and corresponds to Boxing Day in Anglo-Saxon countries.

History & origin

Stephen, stoned to death around 34 CE for his preaching, is celebrated as the first martyr of the early Christian church (proto-martyr). His feast was established by the 4th century.

Traditions & customs

In Ireland: "Wren Day" — traditionally young men in costume carry a hunted wren around villages collecting money. Today the wren is symbolic. In Italy: continued Christmas family meals. Eastern Europe: church services and family time.

Traditional foods

Leftover Christmas roast. In Ireland, traditional Christmas pudding.

For travellers

Public holiday in Ireland, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Croatia, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Catalonia. Boxing Day in UK and Commonwealth.

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Frequently asked questions

Same as Boxing Day?
Yes — same date (December 26). "Boxing Day" is the secularized English name; Saint Stephen's Day is the Catholic liturgical name.

Saint Stephens Day in other countries

This holiday is also publicly observed in:

More holidays in Ethiopia

Related holidays

About this page. caldays.com curates public-holiday data from official government publications and IANA tzdata. For critical decisions (travel, payroll, contracts) please verify with the relevant official source. Long-form content is researched and written by the caldays editorial team.