by Saoirse Anton

The lights are rigged, set dressing has been in place for weeks, the soundtrack is set, the main character is donning his classic red and white costume, and everyone is ready for opening night…sorry, I mean Christmas Day. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and the most theatrical. I’m sure many of you have memories of going along to your local pantomime at Christmas, or of seeing The Nutcracker, or enjoying a carol concert. But it’s not just those familiar theatre traditions that make Christmas the theatrical affair that it is, all over the world there are ancient and modern traditions that make Christmas a time for theatre.

Pastorela and Las Posadas

Christmas celebrations in Mexico begin in early December with the feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe and continues until the 6th January, when people celebrate the arrival of the three wise men. Throughout the Christmas season there are several theatrical traditions. The first of these is the gathering of pilgrims around the basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico City where people dance, carry lights and set off fireworks from dusk on the 11th December through to the next morning. Later in the month, from the 16th to the 24th December there are nine processions called “Las Posadas,” which tell the story of Mary and Joseph travelling to Bethlehem through the parade and traditional call and response songs. Another tradition is Los Pastores, nativity plays that have been performed since Spanish missionaries introduced them in the 16th Century as part of their efforts to convert people to Christianity. You might be surprised by some of the differences between the nativity plays you performed in school and Los Pastores, as they can include a lot of improvisation, bawdy humour and an appearance by the Devil!

Ligligan Parul

Ligligan Parul, or the Giant Lantern Festival, is an annual festival held in San Fernando in the Philippines each December. It is believed to have developed from a Kapampangan religious celebration known as Lubenas, nine nights of processions of lanterns representing Jesus and the apostles. The modern Ligligan Parul is a stunning sight with huge 20-foot lanterns lit by thousands of colourful bulbs.

Old Man Bayka and the Dancing Devils

The Dancing Devils and Old Man Bayka (or Old Man Beggar) are masked dancers who play a part in Christmas celebrations in Liberia. They were originally a part of traditional festivals, and were absorbed into Christmas celebrations when the area was settled and turned into the country of Liberia by the American Colonization Society in the early 19th Century and Christianity was introduced. Old Man Bayka goes from house to house dancing to traditional drums and asking for money and gifts.

Wren Boys

Another festive tradition that involved asking for food and donations is Lá an Dreoilín (in Ireland) or Shelyg yn Dreean (in the Isle of Man), in which the Wren Boys go out on St Stephen’s Day in masks, painted faces and colourful costumes to parade around the neighbourhood with a wren on a decorated staff, singing and playing music in exchange for food and money. Traditionally the Wren Boys would hunt and kill the wren on the morning of St Stephen’s Day, but thankfully this part of the tradition has largely been replaced with the use of a stuffed or fake wren! In the Isle of Man, the tradition also includes a funeral for the wren after sunset, and the distribution of feathers from the wren as good luck charms to those who gave money to the Wren Boys.

Mummers

Another tradition that includes colourful costumes and masks is that of the Mummers. This tradition exists in various forms across Britain and Ireland, but here in Ireland it involves a group of friends or family who dress in disguise with elaborate straw masks and costumes and go visiting houses in their area during Christmas. If they are welcomed into the house they will play music, sing, dance and perform a mummers play, and the host must guess the mummers’ identities before offering them food and drink. Once they have been identified they move on to the next house. While the Wren Boys only come out on St Stephen’s Day, the mummers will perform throughout the Christmas period, as well as at other moments of celebration through the year.

Whether you are heading out to watch the antics of a panto dame, donning a straw costume, or have decided that the tension around who gets the best chocolates from the box is enough drama for you this festive season, I hope you have a wonderful, theatrical, Christmas and a happy new year!