Why the earthquake recorded on 26th December 2004 is called boxing day?

Boxing Day is a bank holiday or a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and countries in the Commonwealth of Nations with a mainly Christian population. In South Africa this public holiday is now known as the Day of Goodwill. It is based on the tradition of giving gifts to the less fortunate members of society.

In many countries Boxing Day is a "shopping holiday" associated with post-Christmas sales and early starts to 'January sales'.

Boxing Day is usually celebrated on December 26, the day after Christmas Day; however, unlike St. Stephen's Day, Boxing Day is not always on December 26: its associated public holiday can be moved to the next weekday if December 26 is a Saturday or Sunday. The movement of Boxing Day varies between countries. The name being derived from being traditionally marked by the giving of Christmas boxes to service workers (such as service staff, postal workers and trades people) in the United Kingdom.

This day is commonly thought the UK's name for St. Stephen's Day. Saint Stephen was the first Christian martyr, being stoned to death in Jerusalem around A.D. 34–35. St. Stephen's Day is usually celebrated on December 26, which is a public holiday in some countries and areas in Europe (including but not limited to the UK, Germany, Italy, Alsace and the northern part of Lorraine in France, Catalonia in Spain) and around the world with predominantly Christian populations. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, St Stephen's Day is celebrated on the 27th of December, although in Greece the Greek Boxing Day (Synaxis Theotokou, Σύναξις Θεοτόκου) is also celebrated as a public holiday on December 26 and is not related to the British version.

In Ireland — when it was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland — the UK's Bank Holidays Act 1871 established the feast day of St. Stephen's Day as a non-moveable public holiday on December 26, although since Partition, the name "Boxing Day" is used by the authorities in Northern Ireland, (which remained part of the United Kingdom), and it has become a moveable public holiday in line with the rest of the United Kingdom

The Banking and Financial Dealings Act of 1971 established "Boxing Day" as a public holiday in Scotland. In the Australian state of South Australia, December 26 is a public holiday known as Proclamation Day.

Boxing Day 2004

Normally when an earthquake hits, or a tsunami, tornado, hurricane ect. occur they are named after people. But since this earthquake hit on a public holiday, boxing day, it was named after it instead of a persons name.

So, if it hit on the 4th of July, it would have been called the "4th of July Earthquake".

Boxing Day is a holiday. It happens to be December 26th. Since the earthquake happened on that day, it got its name. If it had happened on February 14th, it would have been the Valentines Day earthquake.

In the 19th century and before, it was the custom in England for the wealthy to give 'boxes' or small extra gifts (beyond that of their wages) to their servants on the day after Christmas day, hence the name Boxing Day.