holly boy

plural holly boys

1. historicalA figure made of holly branches, representing the male principle or the male counterpart to the ivy-girl; a traditional effigy or character used in a folk custom during Shrovetide (the period immediately preceding Lent) involving groups of village boys and girls burning each other's plant effigies to playfully celebrate the end of winter.

   The girls burned the "Holly boy" of the men, the men burned the "Ivy maid" of the girls

   1912, Lang, Andrew, 1844-1912, History of English literature, from "Beowulf" to Swinburne, page 150

   5 more examples

   [...] the Girls were burning in triumph a figure which they had stolen from the Boys, called a Holly-Boy, whilst the Boys were doing the same with another figure called an Ivy-Girl.

   1813, Brand, John, 1744-1806; Ellis, Henry, Sir, 1777-1869, “Valentine's Day”, in Observations on popular antiquities, chiefly illustrating the origin of our vulgar customs, ceremonies and superstitions : Arranged and rev., with additions, page 52

   [...] in some of the southern counties of England vestiges still remain of the old custom of the burning of effigies, the maidens consuming a "holly boy," the young lads setting fire to an "ivy girl," and it is still a common thing to suspend above the kitchen mantelshelf bunches of early spring flowers [...]

   1870, Peter Spenser, “Old Customs in Flowers”, in Lady's Own Paper 1866-1872, page 31

   The English Jack-in-theGreen of the old May-day sports and the Kentish Holly-boy and Ivy-girl of the Shrove-tide revels^ are reminiscences of this worship.

   1921, Hastings, James, 1852-1922; Selbie, John Alexander, 1865-1931; Gray, Louis H. (Louis Herbert), 1875-1955, “Trees and Plants”, in Encyclopaedia of religion and ethics, page 449

   The ‘holly-boy’ and 'ivy-girl,' which used to figure prominently in the Shrovetide festivities of English villagers, notably in Kent, represent similar ancient rites

   1926, James Hastings, chief editor; John A. Selbie; L.L. Gray. 1908-1914.1922.1926, “Gypsies”, in Encyclopaedia Religions Ethics, page 465

   In English Shrovetide dances there are often a holly-boy and an ivy-girl among the dancers. [...] In the Shrovetide dances in England there are frequently an ivy-girl and a hollyboy among the dancers.

   1972, Leach, Maria, ed; Fried, Jerome, ed, Funk & Wagnalls standard dictionary of folklore, mythology, and legend, page 501