The Boar’s Head and Yule Log Festival is a beloved annual tradition in Cincinnati, Ohio.
It’s a medieval pageant featuring detailed costumes, a large orchestra and choir, spectacular lighting effects, and more.
The cast is comprised of 185 volunteers plus an 80-person choir, 50-piece orchestra and 50-person crew backstage.
The Cincinnati production began on the Boar’s Head tradition’s 600th anniversary in 1940.
Cincinnati’s is the oldest continuing Boar’s Head and Yule Log festival pageant in the USA.
The festival celebrates the Episcopal church’s medieval British roots as Christian beliefs overtook pagan customs in Europe. Church officials say the “presentation of a boar’s head at Christmas came to symbolize the triumph of the Christ Child over sin,” which is why it’s still prominently featured today.
The Festival we know today originated at Queen’s College, Oxford, England in 1340.
Like our Thanksgiving turkey, roasted boar was a staple of medieval banquets.
The festival culminates in the famous Boar’s Head Procession.
A trumpet sounds. Then, led by a minstrel, a noble company of knights and attendants brings the boar’s head with its many accoutrements.
What: Boar’s Head and Yule Log Festival
When: December 30-31, 2023
Where: Christ Church Cathedral (318 East Fourth St, Cincinnati, OH)
Homepage
https://cincinnaticathedral.com/boars-head/
https://www.facebook.com/BoarsHeadCincinnati
