This will be the 34th year for the Boar’s Head and Yule Log Festival to be presented by University Chistian Church as a gift to the community. This celebration of the victory of good over evil is perhaps the oldest continuing festival of the Christmas season. It began as a holiday tradition in the grand manor houses of England, and was brought to America during colonial days. There’s never a dull moment in this fast moving presentation, which is loaded with surprise entrances and exits by the performers.
The pageant is based on an old legend, that of an Oxford student who kills a wild boar when it interrupts his studies. When the church adopted the Festival, it gained a new, Christian significance – the wild boar, symbolic of evil, is overcome by good through the teachings of Christ. Marching companies, in beautiful authentic costumes of Renaissance England, sing the ancient songs of Christendom, as they carry in the gaily-bedecked head of the wild boar, which is conquered by the innocent goodness of the Christ Child. The triumph of light over darkness is made graphic in the Christ Candle through its light and through the carvings on the wooden candleholder in UCC’s production.
The second part of the program features the original Christmas story, as shepherds and Wise Men travel to Bethlehem to bring gifts to the Christ Child. The traditional tableau – Mary, Joseph and the baby – is revealed as the climax, with a baby recently born to a member of the UCC congregation playing the part of the infant Jesus. The iconic moment of the Holy Family stirs the heart in remembrance of God’s gift of his Son to all humanity.
All performances of the BHYL Festival are open to the public with many seats free of charge. Those holding seats for family and friends, must release them 30 minutes prior to the start of a performance. Because of this, persons are urged to come an hour early to get seats. Reserved seating is available for $12 per seat; reserved ticket holders will only need to arrive 30–45 minutes prior to the performance to be seated.
What: Boar’s Head and Yule Log Festival
When:
- January 2, 2010 at 3:00 & 5:00 pm
- January 3, 2010 at 3:00 & 5:00 pm
Where: University Christian Church
2720 S. University Drive, Fort Worth, TX 76109
How Much:
- $12.00 – Reserved Seating
- FREE – General Admission
Tickets: Please call the UCC Ticket Desk at 817.926.6631, ext. 141. Tickets go on sale November 30, 2009.
