The Star boys' singing procession has children and young people walking about with a movable star on a rod. The singing procession and the folk drama had its roots in an old medieval ecclesiastical play, centred on the Three Magi of the Christmas story in the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 2,1-28), appropriate to Epiphany.
The liturgical drama developed from the 16th century on, as it was performed by cathedral schoolboys, to become a more secular mystery drama, containing also some ordinary Christmas songs and carols.
The singing procession and play was usually observed each year during the period between 27. December and 6. January (the feast of the Epiphany).
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After the reformation in the 16th century, pupils of the cathedral schools in Protestant nations conducted these processions to raise funds to replace the church support that had disappeared. The traditional practice developed differently in the north and the south of Europe.
Since then the Star boys' singing procession has become common in many parts of Europe (both in Catholic and Protestant areas) and in Russia.
The importance of the Twelfth Day and the feat of the Epiphany grew with the introduction of the Gregorian calendar as the day, according to the earlier Julian calendar, is also the Old Christmas Day. The custom passed further on to the general populace as a kind of narrative folk drama, but seems to have declined in its original form since the late 19th century.
The Star boys walk about from house to house "singing at the doors, with a star on a pole".[1] The dramatic part is introduced by one of the Wise Men knocking on someone's door asking: "May the star come in?" If the offer is accepted, they are all invited inside. Then the whole procession will enter the home singing a spcial Christmas carol. Then the play begins.
In the performance, the Three Wise Men, Gaspar, Melchior and Balthazar, are first confronted by Joseph, who tries to protect the newborn baby Jesus (a doll) and his wife Mary from the intruders with a wooden axe. The three magi are however most welcome inside after saying that they have brought with them presents for the child. The Wise Men also have to mislead King Herod, who is also trying to find the new born 'prince' in the stable. Both Gaspar and Melchior fight the king and his men with swords, together with Joseph who uses his broad axe, while Mary nurses her son and Balthazar takes care of the shining star.
After the performance Judas comes to collect money or other gifts from the audience in a large bag. The young boys are usually treated to strong drinks and cakes afterwards. Then the Star boys leave the house for their next visit to somewhere in the neighbourhood, singing a song containing a farewell and many thanks for the received gifts.
The teams of Star boys, aged about ten to fifteen, are dressed in long white shirts and pointed brown or white paper hats,in imitation of a well-known picture of the Biblical Magi as Babilonians Balthazar carries the star and Gaspar and Melchior are armed with wooden swords. The other characters usually do not disguise themselves but also dress in long shirts, often in brown, green or grey colours and conical hats. Joseph has got a cylindrical paper hat and a wooden timber or broad axe. King Herod wears a crowns and he and his soldiers carry wooden swords.[2] In the crowd there may also be shepherds with long shirts and sticks and some angels with white shirts and wings.
The star itself is made anew each year, using tranparent paper on a constructed frame built of wooden lists and with one to three candles placed inside. The star on the rod has to be movable and turned around all the time, so that the paper does not get overheated and does not go up in flame.
At a synod in Konstanz in Switzerland at Christmas in 1417 the British clergies performed the Star boy drama for the rest of the participants at the meeting. They wore expensive costumes and had a large shining star.[3] The performance was a huge success at the church conference and could have been one of the main reasons for growing popularity of the drama in post-medieval Europe.
The Star boys' singing procession in England seems later to have been mixed together with several other kinds of carol singers at Christmas. They do not go from house to house, but visit two or three local pubs to receive free beer. Nowadays they are not carrying the shining star anymore, but just a quadrangular paraffin wax on a long stick or even a candle lamp with an ordinary handle.[4] Whereas religious folk plays are the norm in the rest of Europe, the British folk drama is absolutely secular, even if they are mostly taking place on the Christian festival days.
In the Nordic countries the Star boys' singing procession is known all along the coast, though not often in inland communities. At the end of the 1880s many objected to this Catholic form of organized begging, and officials began forbidding the practice. By the 1900s it had largely disappeared, and there are now just a few places where the original play of the Star boys can be counted as an unbroken linear tradition, for instance the islands Amager in Denmark, and Haram and Vigra on the west coast of Norway, but the most famous one is probably the Star boys' singing procession in the small town of Grimstad on the south coast of Norway.[5]
In 19th century Sweden the Star boys started to join in with horse riding on St. Stephen's Day, December 26. Today they are only to be seen bringing up the rear together with bridesmaids and elves as a part of the Lucia procession on December 13. Recently school teachers, nursery nurses and Christian clergymen have tried to revitalize the play for small children, inviting their parents to come to the schools, the kindergartens or the churches to see it performed. But the popular and more humorous folkloristic elements of the play are often left out.
In Finland, a version of the Star boys' procession originating in the city of Oulu, a musical play known as Tiernapojat, has become established as a cherished Christmas tradition nationwide. The Tiernapojat show is a staple of Christmas festivities in schools, kindergartens, and elsewhere, and it is broadcast every Christmas on radio and television. The Finnish version contains non-biblical elements such as king Herod vanquishing the "king of the Moors" who is depicted in blackface, and a short song of praise to Tsar Alexander.
In Germany and Austria the Star boys' singing has developed into a nationwide custom, where the children call on every door and are given sweets and money for Caritas charity projects - unusually in aid of poor children in Eastern European and developing countries.[6]
A tradition in most of Central Europe involves writing the initials of the three kings' names above the main door of the home to confer blessings on the occupants for the New Year. For intances if the year is 2009, it would together with the initials CMB be "20 + C + M + B + 09". The initials was in earlier folkloristic literature interpreted as the names of the Three Wise Men, but is probably a Latin phrase; "Christus mansionem benedicat" (= May Christ bless this house). In Catholic parts of Germany and in Austria, this is done by the Star boys, called Sternsinger (literally "Star singers"). After having sung their songs, recited their poems, and collected donations at a front door they will chalk the initials on the top of the door frame.
In Kashubia the Star boys' (Trzej królowie) singing is a custom.
Dansk Folkemindesamling, Skrifter 3. Copenhagen 1974.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company.
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