When England Banned Christmas
A seventeen-year ban on Christmas celebrations in the 17th century led to widespread riots
Can you imagine a real-life Grinch who hated Christmas?
What would Christmas be like without presents, Christmas trees, carols, feasts, and high spirits?
It wouldn’t be Christmas without the fun. However, a group in seventeenth-century England decided that having too much joy was bad and passed laws banning Christmas.
The ban lasted seventeen years in England, although it remained longer in Scotland until 1958.
Yes, till the 25th of December 1958, public Christmas celebrations in Scotland were illegal!
This ban also influenced how early nineteenth-century Americans viewed Christmas. Christmas did not become a public holiday in America until 1870.
But why did many in seventeenth-century England want to cancel Christmas?
The Puritan assault on Christmas.
Before discussing why the English Parliament made Christmas illegal, it’s crucial to understand the country’s political si…
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Forgotten Footprints to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.