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At a medieval church festival, the priest brayed like a donkey and the congregation brayed back

Ellsworth Toohey
Jun 14, 2026
∙ Paid

Feast of the Ass illustration from 1913

The Feast of the Ass was a medieval Christian celebration held on January 14, honoring the donkey that carried the Holy Family into Egypt. A girl and a child riding a real donkey would be led through town to the church, where the animal stood beside the altar during the sermon.

A 13th-century manuscript from Beauvai…

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