King for a Day
The most popular and colourful festival in Medieval Europe was the Nativity, culminating on Christmas Day, a time for both sacred and secular celebrations. Of course, the castles and palaces of great rulers were the scene of the most spectaular festivities.

In one of the most enduring traditions, the monarch would vacate his throne to allow a serving boy to serve as 'king for a day'. Revelling in his brief taste of power and luxury, the lad would issue comical edicts, bestow unlikely honours on the other servants, and despatch the kingdom's knights and counsellors on bizarre quests, to the amusement of all.

So the merriment went on, all over Christian Europe, from Greece to Ireland, from Poland to Portugal - except, strangely enough, for the lands right at the heart of Christendom. The burghers of great Italian cities such as Venice and Genoa had no time for such frivolities, because they believed a Doge is for life, not just Christmas.
(sagitta, Sun 8 Mar 2009, 18:51, 1 reply)

oh fucking hell
I just spat coffee ice-cream everywhere
( Grrrmachine the indifference engine, Sun 8 Mar 2009, 19:06, closed)