London’s Boar’s Head Ceremony: A 700-Year-Old Tradition

The Boar’s Head Ceremony is a venerable 700-year-old tradition in the City of London, originating in 1343. It began as a symbolic “peppercorn rent payment” and a “meaty thank you” from the Butchers’ Guild, now known as the Worshipful Company of Butchers. This gesture was extended to Lord Mayor John Hamond in appreciation for granting them a parcel of land near the Fleet for the essential task of cleaning and disposing of ‘beast entrails’. The presentation of a boar’s head served as the grand centerpiece for the Lord Mayor’s winter feast, a tradition that subsequently endured through centuries.

While the accompanying banquet at Mansion House remains exclusive, the public is freely invited to witness the distinctive procession itself. A well-glossed papier-mâché boar’s head, comically adorned with a sphere of fruit in its jaws, is paraded from Butchers’ Hall to the Mayor’s official residence. This modern facsimile is considered more agreeable than the genuine article used in earlier times. Historically, the ceremony occurred in the run-up to Christmas, but it has since been moved to late winter or early spring; for instance, in 2026, it is scheduled for Wednesday, March 18th.

Spectators can gather outside Butchers’ Hall at 87 Bartholomew Close shortly before 2:30 pm to observe the boar’s “bonce” being carried on a litter by blue gown-clad freemen and women. Led by a beadle, the procession is traditionally accompanied by the Epping Forest Pipe Band, piping and drumming its way towards the Mansion House, where it typically arrives around 3:00 pm. The current Lady Mayor, Dame Susan Langley, will be the recipient in 2026. The article notes the demolition of the historical Boar’s Head Tavern on Eastcheap, featured in Shakespeare, in the 1820s, which previously offered a post-ceremony drinking spot. A distinct, yet similar, centuries-old boar’s head procession also takes place annually at Queen’s College, Oxford, during Christmastime, uniquely featuring a genuine boar’s head and heralded by the Boar’s Head Carol. The primary benefit of the London ceremony today is its role as a free, engaging cultural spectacle, preserving a unique piece of the city’s rich history. No specific risks are highlighted regarding the modern procession.

(Source: https://londonist.com/london/things-to-do/boars-head-procession-city-of-london)