dienasgramata:

Late in the medieval days of England, the royal court, the houses of noblemen, and many colleges at the universities of Cambridge and Oxford appointed a manager for their Christmas festivities and dubbed him the "lord of misrule" or the "abbot of misrule." The lord of misrule was responsible for arranging all Christmas entertainment, including plays, processions, and feasts. The lord himself usually presided over these affairs with a mock court and received comic homage from the revelers. Scholars believe that the name "lord of misrule" was taken from the name of the official who presided over an older New Year's celebration called the "Feast of Fools."