holly boy

Noun

holly boy (plural holly boys)

1. (historical) A figure made of holly branches, representing the male principle or the male counterpart to the ivy-girl; 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 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...
   • [...] 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...1870, Peter Spenser, “Old Customs in Flowers”, in Lady's Own Paper 1866-1872, page 31