Figure 1.-- The boys seem to elect a boy bishop as well. This was a popular medieval tradition. Choirs and schools in England and other countries did the same thing. The tradition was eventually suppressed by the Church because it and other Christmas celebrations got out of hand. I'm not suyre when the Boy Bishop tradition was reintroduced at the Aachen Cathedral Choir

Aachen Cathedral Boyb Bishop Tradition

The boys seem to elect a boy bishop as well. This was a popular medieval tradition. Choirs and schools in England and other countries did the same thing. The tradition was eventually suppressed by the Church because it and other Christmas celebrations got out of hand. I'm not suyre when the Boy Bishop tradition was reintroduced at the Aachen Cathedral Choir.

Medieval Boy Bishop Tradition

A popular custom of the medieval Christian church was the Boy Bishop or Nicholas which became part of the Christmas festival. This custom was very common in countries throughout Europe, including Italy north to Scandinavia and the Hebrides and from Ireland east to Hungary. A boy of the Cathedral choir (and later at schools as well) was elected on Saint Nicholas day (December 12). On the Eve of Feast of the Holy Innocent (December 28) he took with his colleagues possession of the cathedral performing all the ceremonies and offices except mass. Several ecclesiastical councils attempted to abolish or restrain the abuses of the custom, and the Council of Basel prohibited it in 1431. It was however too popular to be easily suppressed. In England it was finally abolished by Elisabeth I. An analogous custom survived until the late 18th century in Germany, were a schoolboy was elected as bishop in honour of St. Gregory the Great, the patron of schools.