holly boys

A form of holly boy — A 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.

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Meanings

noun
  1. pluralplural of holly boy
Cite this entry
APA

holly boys. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holly%20boys

MLA

“holly boys.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holly%20boys. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “holly boys,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holly%20boys.

Source: holly boys on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.