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.
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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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<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="7763 https://www.historyandheadlines.com/?p=7763">35 Comments
Even as someone from a predominantly Catholic family, I’ve never hear of this feast. However, I find the historically repetitive, and often celebratory themes of (what I’ll address as) “womb-worship” very telling of the story behind today’s discourses of female objectification. Indeed, patriarchy is rooted both in the past as well as our religions.
I’d go to Church for ass eating day if the church had enough babes.
let’s not bring this back
I find it funny that it took until 1500 for people to realize that maybe Feasts of the Ass and Fools doesn’t really seem like something that should be celebrated religiously.
I just wonder not so much why one would think this up, but how it would have gained such widespread traction for over a millennium.
This may seem weird to us but it was probably normal to them but I do question the person who made this holiday!
this just seems very strange to me, like how did this even become a tihng
I really wonder who made this up and if that person was being for real or made up as a joke.
What a silly tradition! Sounds like they were just trying to have a little fun and horse around.
Okay, that made me laugh
As many others are probably wondering, I am curious to know how and why this came such a big tradition? I find it very odd and am glad it is no longer a tradition.
that would be the one sure mass that i would not attend
This is an extremely weird tradition! i would not attend
What a strange tradition…
I wonder how this became a tradition in the first place…?
This is a very strange tradition. It’s weird to think about how it became one.
Quite possibly one of the best holiday names I’ve ever heard.
Wow, i can honestly say this is the first time iv heard this one!
This made me laugh. Didnt expect this to be a thing.
What the hell did I just read.
This was new information to me, funny how some holidays come about and come to represent.
First time I have ever heard of this and this article was a very funny read.
Everyone going through town making donkey noises…Seems like an odd way to celebrate….
First time I had ever heard of this, very interesting
The video was really interesting
I have never actually heard of this before. This is a perfect example that many different cultures celebrate many different things.
Never heard of this before, but it was very interesting. I giggled at the title though, I cannot lie.
the title cracked me up but ive also never heard of this
After reading the title i expected to read something about a donkey, but never expected that.
Quite an odd ritual. Not what I expected either
Very interesting I have not heard of this before
I don’t know what I was expecting, but that sure wasn’t it.
I expected some thing about a donkey but not quite that.
i have never heard of this before! a donkey is in the bible a lot. but to be given its own day of celebration is kind of excessive.
Well… Clicked the link, read about a donkey, was disappointed.