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The Christmasone of the most anticipated celebrations for families today, faced strict prohibition in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 17th century. For the Puritans, it was a pagan festival “disguised as Christian”, full of excess and debauchery.
It all started in England during the Civil War. In 1647, when the Parliament of that country was controlled by the Puritans, It was declared illegal to celebrate Christmas. This group claimed that it sought to purify the Church of England and, therefore, They rejected parties, banquets and Christmas decorationslike holly decorations and candles.
According to the historian Esteban Nissenbaum in an interview with national geography, “Christmas was nothing more than a pagan festival covered with a Christian veneer.”
In that context, the churches were closed and soldiers were deployed to break up clandestine celebrations. The opposition did not take long to appear. In cities such as Norwich and Canterbury, residents protested and looted premises open at Christmas. The Canterbury Christmas Riot of 1647 was an emblematic example: the citizens took control of the city and hung the typical Christmas holly plant in every corner, in a defiant manner, according to another article in the same medium.
Tension between the Puritans and the rest of the population increased when Parliament even ordered compulsory work on December 25 and sent soldiers to tear down decorations. The inhabitants they responded with pamphlets as A vindication of Christmas (A Vindication of Christmas), which defended the celebrations and criticized the ban.
The Puritans brought their beliefs to the American colonies. In 1659, the Massachusetts General Assembly He fined those who celebrated Christmas five shillings. The holiday was considered a sinful distraction that diverted the faithful from true worship, according to History. Although many settlers continued with the secret celebrationsothers They openly defied the law.
The punishment did not eradicate the celebrations, but it did diminish their popularity in the region. As records from the Bay Colony explain MassachusettsPuritan authorities pointed out that “true devotion was distorted by parties and debauchery.”
In 1653, Oliver Cromwell assumed as Lord Protector. Although the Christmas ban had already been imposed before his rise, he decided not to reverse it. Under his rule, the Puritan Parliament strengthened surveillance and He continued with the repressions of the festivities.
The Cromwell’s death In 1658 he weakened Puritan power. Parliament, without a strong leader, could not uphold the restrictive lawsaccording to Universal History.
In 1660, the restoration of the monarchy with Charles II ended prohibition in England. Holly decorations returned to churches, while banquets and festivals resumed. For his part, Samuel Pepys, a renowned chronicler of the time, noted in his diary how he attended masses and celebrated Christmas with traditional foods.
In the United States, however, Christmas remained unpopular in several regions until the 19th century. The rise of christmas literatureas Christmas story of Charles Dickens, and European traditions helped restore the Christmas spirit. By 1870, the government of USA declared Christmas as a federal holiday.
