O Sapientia

The Church of England calendar marked 16 December O Sapientia, which puzzled many people, and some took it for the name of a saint and martyr, one of the eleven thousand virgins of St Ursula. In fact it was the opening of an anthem, O Sapientia quae ex ore altissimi, sung in the Latin church from that day until Christmas Eve in honour of Christ’s coming. By church reckoning the Christmas festival began that day. When a lady asked Dr Parr on what day it was proper to start eating mince pies, he answered, begin on O Sapientia, but call them Christmas pies, since mince pie was a Puritan name.