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The dinner was inspired by a 16th-century British legend involving an Oxford University student who (allegedly) was walking through the woods when he was attacked by a wild boar. The student was saved by a well-read classmate who shoved a book featuring Aristotle鈥檚 works down the boar鈥檚 throat, resulting in the creature鈥檚 demise by way of Greek philosophy.

In other versions, such as this from the 18th century, it is the endangered student who saves himself with his handy book.

Either way, the vanquished beast was brought to the college, and a banquet was held in celebration.

According to an curated by the , the idea of the U91原创 version of the famed dinner originated with mechanical engineering major Theodore Fitch 鈥�35 and Adele Bostwick, the head dietician in Todd Union. In fact, Todd Union was the site of the first dinner held on December 17, 1934. And that month, 91原创 Review gave special credit to Todd Union director Carl Lauterbach, Class of 1925, 鈥渨ho was warmly congratulated for successfully inaugurating what should become a colorful tradition of the season.鈥�

The magazine鈥檚 wish was granted, with the dinner becoming an annual student-run event thereafter.

The Boar鈥檚 Head Dinner begins with a trumpet fanfare and the procession of members of the 鈥淗ighe Table,鈥� which includes University officials, faculty, and student leaders. 鈥淭he spelling of the Highe Table is just a fun nod to old English, even though it鈥檚 not super accurate,鈥� says Jill Wulfenstein, associate director for programming in . 鈥淚t just creates a little more fun for the evening.鈥�

All Highe Table guests are dressed in medieval robes and gowns, which the University has rented from a local costume shop since at least the turn of the century. Costumes for student performers are owned by the Student Activities Board and stored throughout the year.

The dinner invocation is traditionally followed by the presentation of an actual boar鈥檚 head on a platter. According to a , students used to fight over possession of the boar鈥檚 head, leading then-University vice president Paul Burgett 鈥�68E, 鈥�76E (PhD) to ban the head at the dinner. Burgett eventually allowed a boar鈥檚 head, but for many years, one was made from styrofoam.

The highlight of the festivities is the 鈥淩eading of the Boar,鈥� in which a faculty member offers a retelling of the medieval legend, often putting his or her own spin on it. In 2017, then-Dean of Students Matthew Burns introduced a character named Evil Matt Burns into the tale鈥攁nd claimed no relation. In 2023, Amy Arbogast, an assistant professor in the , made Taylor Swift the focus as the Boar鈥檚 Head scholar travels into the future. He attends Dandelion Day 1989 (1989is Swift鈥檚 fifth album). Then, he goes far into the future and sees students traveling across campus by hoverboard. He notices the University has changed its motto from 鈥淓ver Better鈥� to 鈥淓vermore Better鈥� (Evermore is Swift鈥檚 ninth album).

鈥淭he joke at the end was that he had traveled to his own Eras Tour, but he called it the Boar-as Tour,鈥� Arbogast says. 鈥淚 had fun with that one!鈥�

A student organization is honored annually for having the greatest impact on student and community life at U91原创. This tradition began in 1996, when the men鈥檚 fraternity Delta Upsilon requested that they pass the boar鈥檚 head to a student organization. They chose the Social Activities Board, the precursor to the . Since then, each honoree selects the next year鈥檚 recipient. The was the 2024 recipient.

鈥淚 love the passing of the boar,鈥� says 2024鈥�25 president Elijah Bader-Gregory 鈥�26, who has attended three Boar鈥檚 Head dinners. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the honoring of a student group that鈥檚 giving back to our community in a very noticeable way.鈥�

The medieval-themed menu traditionally consists of a five-course meal served family style, with guests seated at long tables. Each course is preceded by a song from the waitstaff, comprised of student a capella groups.

In the early years, black bean soup, pork roasts, and flaming plum puddings were standard fare. And before changes in the drinking age were made, beer was served. According to the Campus Times, 210 gallons of beer were consumed at the 1976 dinner.

Meliora Catering on the River Campus has prepared the food in recent years. Typical food has included roasted pork tenderloin, turkey breast, mushroom gravy, green beans, and caramelized onions. And, according to Wulfenstein, students may indicate dietary preferences, such as vegan and vegetarian, when ordering tickets.

Anne-Marie Algier 鈥�16W (EdD), the associate vice president for student life and dean of students, has helped plan and host the December dinner for more than a decade. She says it鈥檚 one of her favorite U91原创 traditions.

鈥淚t transports us all to medieval times to enjoy a night of music and merriment,鈥� says Algier. 鈥淲hat I love most is that our talented students provide the entertainment鈥攖he singing waitstaff, juggling jesters, blaring trumpeters, and more. The dinner builds a special feeling of camaraderie in the University community.鈥�

Bader-Gregory, a double major in economics and political science, walks away each time feeling a sense of community bonding. 鈥淚t鈥檚 held right before finals, and it鈥檚 sort of the beginning sendoff to our graduating class, as most of the attendants are seniors,鈥� he says.

And yes, there is a senior privilege. Tickets go on sale a few weeks before the dinner, and are purchased in person. Because there is a limited number of tickets鈥攁round 600 maximum in recent years鈥攖he line to buy tickets is exclusive to U91原创 seniors for the first 30 minutes.

The dinner was less than a decade old when a global crisis shut it down.

Melissa Mead, the John M. and Barbara Keil University archivist, says the dinner at Todd Union went on as planned in December 1941, just a week after the Japanese invaded Pearl Harbor and the US entered World War II. It also was held in 1942 before being suspended for two years due to the war.

鈥淭he dinner made a victorious, if muted, return in 1945, when the聽Campus聽newspaper noted it would 鈥榟ave a Christmas theme with singing, and would approach the old idea as closely as possible,鈥� Mead says. 鈥淧ost-war food shortages in 1946 again suspended the feast, and 1947 would at last see the event return to 鈥榝ull boar.鈥欌��

The annual event would continue uninterrupted until 2020, when it was canceled due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. And it would be a much smaller affair the following year. As a , only 250 tickets were sold for the 2021 dinner (about half of the usual attendance) out of caution. Instead of the usual communal long tables headed by a faculty or staff host, there were round tables and no hosts.

The dinner was an all-male event until 1970, when women were admitted for the first time鈥攂ut only as beer maids serving thirsty singers and guests. One year later, in a titled 鈥淲omen Point to Sexist Implications,鈥� the University鈥檚 Women鈥檚 Caucus petitioned to give women equal access to the event. It worked, and the Boar鈥檚 Head Dinner has been coed ever since.

The event has evolved over the decades, from a men-only beer-guzzling (and cigar-smoking in years past) banquet to one that is more inclusive of the University community. The 2024 dinner featured U91原创鈥檚 first vice president of student life, John Blackshear, who enthusiastically led dinner guests through several songs, encouraging them to be extra loud during the singing of 鈥淩udolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.鈥�

In the early 1990s, the Student Activities Board began moving away from the singing of traditional Christian carols in favor of sectarian songs, a move criticized in a , which noted 鈥淪AB wants to be PC (politically correct) and appeal to a wider audience by eliminating songs with references to the historical nature of Christmas.鈥�

Bader-Gregory says he remains astonished at the impact and uniqueness of this dinner decades after it began. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really an amazing event,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 mean, where else can you go to a medieval dinner on your college campus in the middle of December?鈥�