The persistence of tradition: the curious case of Henry Symeonis Christmas is a time for tradition, and the University of Oxford is well known for diligently preserving its traditions for centuries. Many of these have long outlived the people who established the…

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For 563 years, from 1264 to 1827, anyone who received a MA from Oxford university had to swear they would never forgive Henry Symeonis.

By 1608 the reason was lost.