A Brief History
On January 14th, medieval Christians celebrated Feast of the Ass Day, although perhaps not the type of “ass” you may be thinking of! It actually celebrated the various accounts in the Bible where a donkey (or ass) is mentioned, especially the one that supposedly carried Mary and the baby Jesus to Egypt.
Digging Deeper
Not surprisingly, like many or even most Christian holidays, the Feast of the Ass had its origins in Paganism, being derived from the religious feast called Cervulus.
During this bestial-based holy day, a ceremony often took place in which a girl with a baby (or a pregnant girl) was led through a village on a donkey, followed by churchgoers answering the priest with “hee-haws” during the related church service or Mass. In some accounts, the priest himself would bray. (You can make this stuff up, but we did not!)
Amazingly, this nifty holiday fell out of favor around 1500 along with its sister feast, the Feast of Fools. Apparently some thought the titles and actions of these two celebrations were less than “Christian.”
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Perhaps they should bring this particular feast back and give people a valid excuse, at least one day a year, to make an “ass” of themselves in church.
Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: What is your favorite holiday or festival and why?
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
New London Consort and Philip Pickett. The Feast Of Fools/Mass Of The Asses, Drunkards And Gamblers – Gambler’s Prayer/Malediction. Decca Music Group Limited, 1992.
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