Happy Donkey Day!

Festum Asinorum, or the Feast of the Donkey, originated in France and was celebrated primarily between the 11th and 15th centuries. Celebrated on Jan. 14, it celebrates donkey-related stories of the Bible, primarily the humble donkey who carried Mary and Jesus on their flight to Egypt.  

Celebration of the feast would include a procession, led by a donkey, to and then into the church. It would stand by the ambo during a sermon; sometimes the priest would even deliver the sermon from the donkey’s back. Members of the procession would be dressed as prophets or other Bible figures such as Moses, Amos, John the Baptist, and most notably for the day, Balaam and his donkey. Some churches included a pageant about the prophets awaiting the coming of the Messiah or the story of Balaam before the beginning of the Mass.

At the end of the Mass, instead of the priest saying “Ite, missa est,” someone would coax the donkey to bray, to which the faithful would respond, “hee-haw.”

Some historians argue it was a day similar to Carnival—silly and profane bringing an animal into a sacred space. Others say it was more solemn—using the animal to focus on its symbolism of humility and burden. I’d say it was probably a bit of both.

In the Bible, donkeys are beasts are burden, used by laborers and farmers (compared to the horses of kings and soldiers). They were considered common and nonkosher but also humble and loyal.

In the story of Balaam in Numbers, Balaam is going out to meet with the Moabites against the Lord’s wishes. His donkey is able to perceive an angel of the Lord standing in their way, ready to punish Balaam for his disobedience. She stalls three times; each time, Balaam beats her to keep going. Finally, the Lord opens the donkey’s mouth, and she speaks to Balaam: “What have I done to you that you beat me these three times?... Am I not your donkey, on which you have always ridden until now? Have I been in the habit of treating you this way before?” (Numbers 22:28,30). Balaam realizes that she was trying to protect him and realizes the errors of his ways.

After David is anointed by Samuel (1 Samuel 16), he is sent from Bethlehem to Saul, carrying bread and wine and riding on a donkey.

Zechariah predicts that the Messiah will enter Jerusalem on a donkey: “Behold, your king is coming to you, a just savoir is he, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zech. 9:9). That a king would enter on a donkey is a sign of his deep humility.

Mary, while pregnant, enters Bethlehem on a donkey. Again, Mary and the infant Jesus ride a donkey on the flight to Egypt. And, in fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy, Jesus enters Jerusalem on a colt on the week of his Passion.

And though it’s a bit liturgically premature, it feels appropriate it end with G. K. Chesterton’s poem, “The Donkey”:

The Donkey

When fishes flew and forests walked
   And figs grew upon thorn,
Some moment when the moon was blood
   Then surely I was born.

 With monstrous head and sickening cry
   And ears like errant wings,
The devil’s walking parody
   On all four-footed things.

 The tattered outlaw of the earth,
   Of ancient crooked will;
Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,
   I keep my secret still.

 Fools! For I also had my hour;
   One far fierce hour and sweet:
There was a shout about my ears,
   And palms before my feet.