A tiny sprite will bear a lighted candle into the darkened world. Representing the Church, the rector receives the light, and from this flame rise the lights of the altar and the lights of the church itself.
A brass fanfare announces the entrance of the herald and the boar’s head company. Then follow King Wenceslas and his page; the woodsmen with the Yule log, ridden by a tiny sprite; the shepherds searching for the Christ; and the three kings, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Thus begins St. Mary’s Episcopal Church’s annual ancient celebration and festival, free to the community.
Again this year, the members of the church will capture this ancient celebration in the tradition of its presentation at Queens College, Oxford, England, in 1340. It is probably the oldest continuing festival of the Christmas season.
The pageant has its roots in ancient times when the boar was sovereign of the forest. A ferocious beast and menace to humans, it was hunted as a public enemy. At Roman feasts, boar was the first dish served.
As Christian beliefs overtook pagan customs in Europe, the presentation of the boar’s head at Christmas time came to symbolize the triumph of the Christ Child over sin.
The boar’s head tradition was carried on in many of England’s great manor houses, and grew to include a host of characters from all walks of life — lords, ladies, knights, cooks, huntsmen and the like. Shepherds and Wise Men were added to tell the story of the Nativity. The whole was then embellished with carols and Yuletide traditions, both savory and symbolic.
The yule log — lit from last year’s embers, representing the warmth of the family fireside and the continuance of human life and concern — has from the earliest times symbolized the rekindling of love. The old year passes, the new is born, yet the same love lights each.
The annual event at St. Mary’s is a gift to the community, a tradition for families and a personal reaffirmation of faith to the participants. The sanctuary is transformed into that manor house of old, with costumed lords and ladies inviting attendees to be a part of the great celebration.