Boar's Head Feast - America

America

This was the ceremony brought to Colonial America by early British settlers and French Huguenots who had learned of the custom during a period of exile in England. They settled in New York, and were closely connected with the Episcopal Church and its universities. They established the festival as an annual Christmas observance. In 1926, the New York Evening Post described the Boar's Head as a "complex and rich tapestry" of "exquisite melodies."

One well known festival in the United States is the one at Christ Church Cathedral in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio. In this highly theatrical festival, hundreds of parishioners, musicians and actors march, dance and sing as the Yule log is cut and the boar's head is marched through the cathedral.

University Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Fort Worth, Texas. Inaugurated in 1977, its Boar's Head and Yule Log Festival features a cast of 300 magnificently costumed characters, live animals, orchestra, pipe organ, bell choir and the congregation's renowned Chancel Choir.

St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Lafayette Hill, PA. Annually since 1980, St. Peter's has been proud to present the Boar's Head and Yule Log Festival to the Greater Delaware Valley. We perform six shows - 1pm, 4pm and 7pm on the Saturday and Sunday closest to the Epiphany.

Started in 1980 and now presented every four years, the Boar's Head Festival in Grosse Ile MI results from the combined efforts of five churches and involves over 600 community members in cast and production. The Festival includes the Christmas story, the Twelve Days of Christmas presented as a song, dance and acting routine, and various choral and orchestral presentations. The arrival of the King and Queen of the realm, the presentation of the Boar's Head and the Yule log ceremony are all re-enacted during the festival. The pre-festival usually includes puppeteers, juggler, magician, and various costumed characters interacting with the audience. The Festival is presented six times in December. http://boarsheadgi.com/

Since 1983, First Christian Church in Corpus Christi, Texas has put on the Boar's Head and Yule Log festival every January. They celebrated their 30th year of performances on the 7th of January, 2012 with the involvement of over 250 cast, crew, musicians and technicians and with the attendance of over 2,000 audience members. It is a beloved and highly respected yearly tradition in the Coastal Bend area of Texas with people traveling from far and wide to line up and attend this free extravaganza.