A traditional Manx Christmas has long been coloured by what one 19th-century observer described as ‘rude, comical drama, half verse and half prose run mad.’

For more than two centuries, that chaotic burst of seasonal theatre has taken shape in the form of the White Boys - the island’s historic mummers whose strange costumes, absurd humour and ritualised battles have become iconic markers of Manx festive culture.

The definition of a ‘mummer’ is an actor in a traditional masked mime, especially associated with Christmas and it was a very popular custom in the 18th and 19th centuries in the Isle of Man and across England.

Every winter, quirky, sword-wielding actors take to the streets across the Isle of Man - these are the White Boys, performing a time-honoured Christmas mumming play that links community, comedy and tradition.

The White Boys play (in Manx Gaelic, Ny Guillyn Baney) is not a fixed drama.

Instead, it follows a familiar rhythm - saints and knights engage in fierce combat, a hero falls and dies, then, just when things look bleak, a figure known as ‘the Doctor’ revives the fallen warrior.

The conflict ends in reconciliation, often followed by song and dance, leaving audiences with a festive, communal spirit.

What gives the White Boys their name is their distinctive costume.

Participants wear white garments adorned with ribbons, tinsel or beads, and wear tall, often elaborate paper hats decorated with evergreens.

They frequently bear wooden or blunt-edged swords, a theatrical flourish rather than a threat.

Meanwhile the Doctor typically dresses in dark or black clothing, creating a striking visual contrast on the streets.

When the action ends, the performance isn’t over. Traditionally the White Boys sing a special carol - the White Boys Carol - and conclude with a dramatic sword dance.

In this final flourish, swords are interlocked into a six-point star or hexagon, symbolising unity and the end of strife.

Though the play fell out of favour as social customs changed, the White Boys tradition has never vanished entirely.

Thanks to cultural revival efforts over recent decades, modern troupes once again roam towns and villages each December, bringing a taste of living folklore to doorsteps, public squares, and shopping streets.

Members of the public will have the chance to learn more about this tradition in depth at a free talk in Peel when James Franklin, Culture Vannin’s Online and Educational Resources Officer, presents ‘A rude comical drama - The story of the White Boys’, on Saturday, December 6.

The talk will take place at 2:30pm in the Guild Room on Atholl Street with the event organised by the Celtic Congress.

Meanwhile, White Boys performances on Saturday, December 20, will include appearances throughout the day across Port St Mary, Castletown, Port Erin, Ramsey, Colby and Peel, with both the Southern and Peel troupes dancing at multiple locations from 10am to 4pm.

For more information visit culturevannin.im