Did you know that St Nicolas day was once the start of an evil abuse, called the “boy bishop”? On the 6th of December a boy from the choristers or the local grammar school was chosen to be ‘bishop’. He dressed up like one, with staff and miter, plus friends as ‘priests’ to match. This young ‘saint’ continued to bestow his ‘blessings’ until Holy Innocents Day (28th of December).
In England this practice was only abolished under Henry VIII, although it was temporarily revived during the reign of bloody Mary. On the European continent this “scandalous practice” had already been condemned and outlawed by the council of Basil:
“In some churches, during certain celebrations of the year, there are carried on various scandalous practices. Some people with mitre, crozier and pontifical vestments give blessings after the manner of bishops. Others are robed like kings and dukes; in some regions this is called the feast of fools or innocents, or of children. Some put on masked and theatrical comedies, others organize dances for men and women, attracting people to amusement and buffoonery. Others prepare meals and banquets there. This holy synod detests these abuses. It forbids ordinaries as well as deans and rectors of churches, under pain of being deprived of all ecclesiastical revenues for three months, to allow these and similar frivolities, or even markets and fairs, in churches, which ought to be houses of prayer, or even in cemeteries. They are to punish transgressors by ecclesiastical censures and other remedies of the law. The holy synod decrees that all customs, statutes and privileges which do not accord with these decrees, unless they add greater penalties, are null.” (Session 21, 9th June AD1435)