Peace Lutheran Church, 737 Barracks-view Road, will present its 20th annual Boar’s Head Christmas Festival in December in the church’s new chancel.

This year’s festival will feature a bigger cast, new costumes and new music, ac-cording to a news release.

The Boar’s Head Christmas Festival will be presented at 7:30 p.m. from Thursday, Dec. 4, through Saturday, Dec. 6. The festival also will be presented at 2:30 and 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7.

Beginning Monday, Nov. 3, tickets will be offered free to the public on a first-come basis. Tickets can be obtained by calling (314) 892-5610.

Pre-festival music this year will be: Dec. 4, the We Are One Community Chorus; Dec. 5, the Mehlville High School Concert Choir; Dec. 6, the Peace Wind Symphony; Dec. 7 afternoon, the Lutheran High School South Concert Choir; and Dec. 7 evening, Burnell Hackman, organ and carol singing.

Through the festival, Peace Lutheran offers the community a peek into Christmas past with a message as real today as it was then. It presents one of Christianity’s oldest Christmas traditions, the Boar’s Head Christmas Festival, the release stated.

As the pageant opens amid carols and other period music, a Yule sprite appears ushering in the celebration with a “Christ Candle” lit to symbolize Christ bringing light to a darkened world.

Before the procession of lords and ladies, dancers, musicians, swordsmen and servants, the boar’s head is presented to King Wenceslas, symbolizing the defeat of evil, an analogy of the Savior who ultimately conquers evil. After the merriment of the court scene, the Christmas story is presented without dialogue, complete with shepherds and wise men following the star to the holy family.

More information about the festival can be found at

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