The day after Christmas we eat the leftover panettone, rest from the binges and maybe organize a trip. But how many remember the real reason for this celebration? December 26th is the day dedicated to Saint Stephen, the protomartyr of Christianity, a figure who changed the history of the first Christian communities and who deserves to be better known.
Who really was Stefano
The historical information at our disposal tells us that he was probably born in Greece around 5 AD and lived in Jerusalem, where he joined the first Christian community. The name derives from Greek and means “crowned”, a detail that anticipates the destiny of glory that the Christian tradition would have reserved for him. He was most likely a Jew who grew up in Hellenistic culture, spoke Greek and knew the Scriptures perfectly.
The Acts of the Apostles tell us that Stephen was chosen as one of the first seven deacons of the Church of Jerusalem. His task? Help the apostles in daily assistance to the community, especially in distributing food to widows. But Stephen did not limit himself to material service: his profound knowledge of the Bible and his oratory ability led him to preach among the Jews of the diaspora.
Condemnation and martyrdom
His great eloquence cost him dearly. Around 36 AD, during a period of administrative vacuum following the deposition of Pontius Pilate, Stephen was arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish religious authority. The accusation was serious: blasphemy. Who were his accusers? Members of the Jerusalem synagogues who did not accept his message about Christ.
The trial was summary. Stephen did not bend: on the contrary, he gave a speech that retraced the entire sacred history, from the divine works of the Old Testament to Jesus. According to the biblical story, as he spoke he saw “the heavens opened and the Son of man at the right hand of God”. This vision sealed his condemnation.
The punishment decided was stoning, reserved by Mosaic law for the most serious crimes. Among those present at that execution was a young man named Saul of Tarsus, who kept the cloaks of those who threw stones. That same Saul would become Paul of Tarsus, the great apostle who would spread Christianity throughout the Mediterranean world. A detail that history does not forget.
Before dying, Stephen uttered words that would enter Christian memory: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” A message of forgiveness that recalled that of Christ on the cross.
Because it is celebrated on December 26th
The choice of date is not random. The early Church wanted to place the celebrations of the companions closest to Jesus in the days immediately following Christmas: so December 26th was dedicated to Stephen, the first martyr, John the Evangelist, the favorite disciple, is remembered on December 27th, while December 28th commemorates the Holy Innocents, the children killed by Herod.
There is also another tradition that links the date to the discovery of the relics. In 415 AD, the priest Lucian of Kefar-Gamba had a vision: a venerable old man revealed to him where the martyr’s remains were located. The bones were discovered and transported in procession on December 26 of that year to the Hagia Zion church in Jerusalem. From that moment the cult of Stephen spread throughout the Christian world.
When it became a civil holiday in Italy
The Catholic Church celebrates Boxing Day as a religious holiday, but not of obligation: there is no obligation to attend mass. Why then did it become a civil holiday? The answer is pragmatic. In 1947 the Italian State decided to make December 26th a holiday to extend the Christmas holidays with two consecutive days of rest. The same logic applied to Easter Monday (Easter Monday), another non-religious holiday that extends Easter.
The inspiration came from the Anglo-Saxon Boxing Day, a tradition brought to Italy after the Second World War by British soldiers. Before the war, December 26th was a normal working day: banks and offices remained open. The Church had not requested this civil holiday, but obviously it was not opposed to a day that allowed the faithful to celebrate the first martyr of Christianity more calmly.
A message that spans the centuries
Saint Stephen is one of the central figures for the Church, because he represents the courage of testimony. In an era in which the profession of the Christian faith meant risking one’s life – a situation that still persists in some parts of the world today – he chose not to remain silent and continue on his path. His death opened the way for thousands of other martyrs who would face the path of persecution in the name of the Gospel in the following centuries.
