Grosse Ile Boar’s Head Festival

The ancient English tradition of slaying a boar at Christmastime is said to represent the conquering of evil when Jesus Christ was born. The boar’s head would be mounted at the head of the dining hall during the Christmas feast, so everyone knew what an awesome hunter whoever did slayeth the poor beast was. Nowadays, the Boar’s Head Festival looks slightly different. Six hundred residents of Grosse Ile get dressed up in costumes to tell the Nativity story, with a brass ensemble, recorders, handbells, bagpipes, harpsichord, singers, dancers, tumblers, and jesters all thrown in the mix too.