The Medieval Feast Where Children Were Temporarily Put in Charge

Festivals with elements of role reversal were a recurring feature of the medieval world, as seen in cases like the Lord of Misrule, in which an ordinary member of the public was treated as a lord during the Christmas period. This has its roots in the fact that the medieval world was very structured and hierarchical, and that culturally there needed to be times when the public could take a break from these rigid structures and relax for a bit.

This kind of reversal can also be seen in the case of a notable feast presided over by a person known as the "boy bishop," a child who temporarily took on an ecclesiastical role for a few weeks in December each year. Here's an outline of the history of this Christmas custom.

From Choirboy to Clergy

The tradition took place during the festive season and began on December 6, St. Nicholas' Day, when a boy would be selected from a church's choir to take on the role of the "boy bishop," which would last until December 28. The child would wear miniature clerical robes in the same style as an actual bishop and take on many of the bishop's duties. Written records which survive from this period also mention that expenses were allocated to the boy in order to assist him during this period.

The miniature bishop's tasks included leading public processions and handing out small metal tokens to local residents during the Christmas period, which were sometimes inscribed with the emblem of St. Nicholas and have been interpreted as goodwill gestures intended to bring luck and protection to their recipients.

A key element of the role of the boy bishop involved presiding over the Feast of the Holy Innocents, also known as "Childermas," which took place on December 28. On the eve of the feast, the boy bishop and his companions took the seats of the adults in the church, while the usual bishop sat elsewhere, and on December 28 itself he gave blessings to the congregation. The boy bishop would usually give a sermon as part of the feast, as was the case for the one chosen for St. Paul's Cathedral. York Minster's boy bishop had even more extensive work, traveling to deliver sermons at other churches in addition to his own.

Lost and Found

The custom was officially abolished during the Tudor dynasty, first by Henry VIII in 1541 and then once more by Elizabeth I in 1558, after her sister Mary I had briefly revived it. However, it has been reintroduced in much more recent years by some churches and cathedrals, including at Hereford Cathedral in England, as well as at Salisbury Cathedral in the same country, where the post is now named as Chorister Bishop and girls as well as boys are eligible for the role there.

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