The Third Annual Boar's Head Festival Dinner

About the Boar’s Head Festival

Since ancient times, the wild boar was the most dangerous—and tastiest—game sought by hunters. At the ensuing feast, the boar’s head would be decorated and presented to the hunter who brought it down. As England converted to Christianity, the slaying of the boar came to symbolize the victory of Christ over sin and death. At the feast, the boar’s head is presented to Christ, the mightiest hunter of all.  One of the earliest reports of the presentation of a boar’s head dates back to King Henry II in 1170. For over 600 years, a Boar's Head Feast has been celebrated at Queen's College, Oxford. As the boar’s head is presented, the traditional carol circa 1521, The Boar’s Head in Hand Bear I, is sung.  Our Boar’s Head Festival acknowledges these traditions and will be an evening of good food, fun, and most of all, a celebration of “Emmanuel, God with us!” as the twelve days of Christmas come to a close.