Dictionary

ivy girl en · NOUN

Meanings

1. (historical) A doll or figure made of ivy, carried about by young women as part of traditional Shrovetide customs; the counterpart of the holly-boy; a traditional effigy or character used in a folk custom during Shrovetide (the period immediately preceding Lent) involving groups of village boys and girls burning each other's plant effigies to playfully celebrate the end of winter.
   • The English Jack-in-theGreen of the old May-day sports and the Kentish Holly-boy and Ivy-girl of the Shrove-tide revels^ are reminiscences of this worship. 1921, Hastings, James, 1852-1922; Selbie, John Alexander, 1865-1931; Gray, Louis H. (Louis Herbert), 1875-1955, “Trees and Plants”, in Encyclopaedia of religion and ethics, page 449:
   • [...] in some of the southern counties of England vestiges still remain of the old custom of the burning of effigies, the maidens consuming a "holly boy," the young lads setting fire to an "ivy girl," and it is still a common thing to suspend above the kitchen mantelshelf bunches of early spring flowers [...] 1870, Peter Spenser, “Old Customs in Flowers”, in Lady's Own Paper 1866-1872, page 31:
   • The girls burned the "Holly boy" of the men, the men burned the "Ivy maid" of the girls 1912, Lang, Andrew, 1844-1912, History of English literature, from "Beowulf" to Swinburne, page 150:
   • [...] the Girls were burning in triumph a figure which they had stolen from the Boys, called a Holly-Boy, whilst the Boys were doing the same with another figure called an Ivy-Girl. 1813, Brand, John, 1744-1806; Ellis, Henry, Sir, 1777-1869, “Valentine's Day”, in Observations on popular antiquities, chiefly illustrating the origin of our vulgar customs, ceremonies and superstitions : Arranged and rev., with additions, page 52:
   • In English Shrovetide dances there are often a holly-boy and an ivy-girl among the dancers. [...] In the Shrovetide dances in England there are frequently an ivy-girl and a hollyboy among the dancers. 1972, Leach, Maria, ed; Fried, Jerome, ed, Funk & Wagnalls standard dictionary of folklore, mythology, and legend, page 501:
   • The ‘holly-boy’ and 'ivy-girl,' which used to figure prominently in the Shrovetide festivities of English villagers, notably in Kent, represent similar ancient rites 1926, James Hastings, chief editor; John A. Selbie; L.L. Gray. 1908-1914.1922.1926, “Gypsies”, in Encyclopaedia Religions Ethics, page 465:

Forms

Coordinates

holly boy