28 December – Childermas
Childermas, or the Feast of the Holy Innocents, was on the fourth day of Christmas. On this day, people remembered the children murdered in Bethlehem by King Herod, as he tried to kill the baby Jesus. Tudor children were often whipped in the morning to remind them of the suffering of the children in Bethlehem, but for the rest of the day, they were in charge rather than their parents!
This role reversal happened in the church too. Members of the choir were chosen to be ‘Boy Bishops’ on 6 December and they were given the same powers as a real bishop. They had new robes, took church services and preached sermons. They were often given gifts or money as a reward for doing the job, and if a Boy Bishop happened to die, they would be given a full burial as a bishop. Some people complained that they misused their power, but Boy Bishops were protected by a law. Their rule came to an end on 28 December, and the real bishops were in charge once again.
In another popular tradition, boys would shut their schoolmasters (teachers) out of schools, not letting them in until they agreed to hand out fewer punishments or give them more school holidays.
Text and image from English Heritage