The Boar’s head At Christmas.

Because wild boar was the most feared animal, serving it at a meal represented the victory of good over evil. During the 17th century, wild boar became extinct in Britain so a pig’s head was used instead. The head was often presented on a decorated platter with an apple in its mouth and carried in by bearers in a dramatic manner. The tradition of serving ham for Christmas lunch or dinner probably came from the idea of serving boar’s head or roasted boar joints to guests at Christmas.

To say nothing of the roast beef and plum-pudding, Christmas pies, furmity, and snap-dragons, the Yule-log and the mistletoe have not finally abdicated, while the boar’s head, decorated with rosemary or prickly holly, maintains its place at the English Christmas dinner, and is still served up in great state at the royal Christmas table. At Oxford, U.K., the boar’s head was carried in by the strongest of the guardsmen, singing a Christmas carol, and preceded by a forester, a huntsman, and a couple of pages dressed in silk and carrying the mustard which was regarded as a great luxury and  an infallible digester.

The following celebrated carol of the Boar’s Head is found in the book of  ‘Christmasse Carolles’ published in 1521 by Wynkyn de Warde: 

The boar’s head in bande bring I,     

With garlandes gay and rosemary,

I pray you all synge merely,

Qui estis in convivio.

“The bore’s head, I understande,

Is the chefe servyce in this lande.

Loke wherever it be fande,

Servite cum cantico.

“Be gladde, lordes, both more and lasse,

For this bath ordayned our stewarde,

To chere you all this Christmasse,

The bore’s head with mustarde.”

At Oxford, U.K., the boar’s head was carried in by the strongest of the guardsmen, singing a Christmas carol, and preceded by a forester, a huntsman, and a couple of pages dressed in silk and carrying the mustard which was regarded as a great luxury and  an infallible digester. A similar custom appears to have prevailed in Genoa in the times of the Dorias when a boar decorated with branches of laurel and accompanied by trumpeters was annually presented to the Doria family by the Abbot of San Antonio at Pré at midday on the 24th of December.