The youthful bishop was elected by the choir-boys, and exercised his
functions until Holy Innocents' Day. On that day in great state he
entered the cathedral surrounded by the other boys, who played the
part of prebendaries, and attended by the dean and canons, who on
this occasion yielded up their dignity to the youthful prelate and
his followers. The collect for Holy Innocents' Day in our
Prayer-book formed part of the service. It was a strange ceremony,
not unmixed with irreverence, and happily has long been
discontinued, being forbidden by Royal proclamation in 1542, and
finally abolished by Elizabeth.

In the archives of the ancient town of Bristol there is a book of
directions for the Mayor and his brethren, and on St. Nicholas' Day
they are ordered to go to the Church of St. Nicholas and join in the
festival of the boy bishop, to hear his sermon and receive his
blessing. Then they dined together, and waited for the young bishop
to come to them, playing the meanwhile at dice, the town clerk being
ordered to find the dice, and to receive a penny for every raffle.
The bishop was regaled with bread and wine, and preached again to
the Mayor and corporation in the evening. I am informed that a
curious memorial of this custom existed until recent years in one
village at least. An old lady recollected that when she was a child
she was allowed to play with her companions in church on St.
Nicholas' Day.

But Christmas is approaching, and we must hasten to describe that
bright and happy festival. The holiday began on Christmas Eve, and
perhaps you have wondered why we hang up mistletoe, and decorate our
churches and houses with holly, why our ancestors brought in the
Yule-log, and performed many other customs which do not seem to be
very closely connected with the celebration of the birthday of our
Lord. But we must remember that our forefathers were originally
heathen, and at this period of the year they practised several
strange customs connected with their Druidical worship, and held
great feasts in honour of their gods. When Christian missionaries
converted these heathen, they strove to put down some of the old
idolatrous practices; but their efforts were in vain, for the people
were warmly attached to these old rights and usages. So a compromise
was effected: the old Pagan customs were shorn of their idolatry and
transferred to our Christian festivals. Cutting the mistletoe was
distinctly a rite practised by the Dr