Boar’s Head and Yule Log FestivalHundreds pack Bethesda-by-the-Sea for the annual Boar’s Head and Yule Log Festival, performed here since 1977. The traditional English boar’s head festival dates back to the 1300s in Queen’s College, Oxford. Wild boars menaced villagers in Norman England, and the serving of the boar symbolized the triumph of good over evil. In the beautiful gothic church, we relive the pageantry and drama of 14th century England.
More than 160 cast members of all ages, including parishioners, vocalists, the Bethesda Choir, Palm Beach Pipes and Drums, and instrumentalists, dress as lords and ladies, sprites, pages, jesters, shepherds, huntsmen, and beefeaters in a mingling of secular and Christian traditions. You will hear favorite Christmas Carols, enjoy fantastic costumes and performances, and feel the majesty of the arrival of the Baby Jesus. Join us for a wonderful celebration and a fitting close to a joyous holiday season.
Three performances take place on the weekend closest to The Epiphany, the twelfth day of Christmas, which is the date when we commemorate the Three Kings’ arrival in Bethlehem. Tickets are available online a few weeks before the performances and are also available at the door until sold out.
Music at Bethesda
Bethesda’s mission is to experience the clear and strong presence of God and to understand and spread Christ’s teachings through collective worship, learning, and service.