Naturally, domestic servants were required to work on Christmas Day. The cookies weren't going to bake themselves, and heaven forbid a lavish holiday party be interrupted by unsupervised children. Servants didn't totally miss out on the festivities, though. Perhaps out of Christian guilt, it was customary for those who employed servants to give them the day off on December 26, sending them off to their own families with boxes of gifts, money, and/or leftovers.
