A SOCIAL media post from Sinn Féin's youth wing about what terminology people use to describe December 26 has been deleted.
Ógra Shinn Féin posted on St Stephen's Day: "It is the official position of the Republican Movement that Boxing Day does not exist. Lá an Dreoilín sona daoibh go léir."
Former Sinn Féin MLA Paul Butler also joined the calls on social media, tweeting: "Next year can Irish people please refer to the 26th December as St Stephen's Day or Lá Fhéile Stiofáin 'as gaeilge' from now on. Go raibh maith agaibh."
It is unclear whether the posts were designed to be light-hearted.
The term St Stephen's Day is synonymous throughout Ireland with the day after Christmas Day, while Boxing Day, the term used in Britain, is also common, especially in the north.
DUP MLA Peter Weir described Ógra Sinn Féin's tweet was "laughable and silly", while demonstrating an "extreme anti-UK opinion".
“Having failed for two generations to convince people in Northern Ireland to leave the United Kingdom, Sinn Féin’s latest phase of the struggle is to cancel Boxing Day," the Strangford MLA said.
"On one level its ridiculousness is laughable but, on another level, it displays an extreme form of anti-UK sentiment that undoubtedly also enabled some republicans to take life in the past."
Mr Weir accused the Sinn Féin youth wing of seeking "politicise and sectarianise" December 26.
Sinn Féin was asked to comment.
