December 26, 2013: Boxing Day is many things to many people. And many Americans, on hearing the name, immediately think of fisticuffs. But no! Traditionally, Boxing Day was a day when servants were given the day off and given gifts from their bosses, because they’d been required to work on Christmas. It’s possibly also an offshoot of the week-long Saturnalia, a part of which was a role-swap between ancient Roman slave owners and their slaves. At any rate, it’s also a great day to score deals on the things you wanted for Christmas but didn’t get. And it’s also a day when the stores are packed tight with people returning things they hate.

My guess about National Candy Cane Day is that you were supposed to decorate your Christmas tree with candy canes; now that Christmas is over, you can start plucking those little beauties off and scarfing them down. You can probably also get them for 50% off starting today, so get to the stores and get snacking!