Why was Christmas banned?

In the 17th century, Christmas was completely banned in England and its territories, for 17 years. Shops were forced to stay open, public Christmas drinking and festive feasting were illegal, mince pies were seized, even putting up foliage as decoration was banned. Josh Toussaint-Strauss finds out why a parliament full of protestant Puritans would make celebrating Christmas illegal
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#christmas #christmasbanned #festiveseason

[@lewiscullen8236]

Indeed, so always question an American who says the Pilgrims came to American to escape persecution. They went to be able to persecute others.

[@helenpatterson3858]

@yourmanwatson They were like the Jim Jones cult in a way.

[@aethelwolfe3539]

Dutch came here first for capitalism.

[@janetlieb2507]

Yes!

[@ster2600]

Fascinating. A very heartwarming and uplifting video to be released on such a tumultuous day. Thank you, The Guardian!

[@_v_r_tt]

Why did the ban last so much longer in Scotland?

[@jasonchambers8010]

Calvinism.

[@theGuardian]

The Kirk, The Church of Scotland, banned Christmas entirely in 1561, much earlier than the English parliament, declaring it a nasty popish invention. After Cromwell's death, and the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, all parliamentary legislation passed after 1637 was formally revoked. But the Scottish Kirk weren't up for bringing back Christmas, and in 1690 it reinstated its ban which then formally continued until 1958, when Christmas was finally made an official holiday in Scotland after a quarter of a millennium - Josh

[@BlueSaphire70]

@@theGuardian Did the people who belong to the Church of Scotland follow that ban? I'm just curious.

[@hetedeleambacht6608]

@@theGuardian And, during that period, did the Scotts actualy celebrated Christmas? Banning is one thing, what the people did was another, no?

[@marcusrobinson5218]

Christmas should be banned

[@Zacky51188]

It's not the solution.

[@castlegate2015]

As a shopping festival, yes I agree. 😅

[@Goodiesfanful]

Even today, there are fundamentalists who oppose Christmas because they think it’s Pagan.

[@DerekPK]

I think it's pagan.

[@sirgalahad1376]

@@DerekPK And I disrespect you for that.

[@Dirty_Dan02]

It is pagan. Jeremiah chapter 10. Learn not the way of the HEATHEN.

[@danabattisto7634]

Right on right on right on!! Saturnalia it is. That's a fact

[@1973Washu]

And there are atheists who oppose it for being too Christian

[@beejamjam]

This is kind of inaccurate. Cromwell never voted to ban Christmas, although his Parliament did.

[@theGuardian]

I may be wrong, but I don't think it's known definitively amongst historians, whether Cromwell voted for this ordinance or not. Although it stands to reason that he would support such a cause, since it was promoted by his fellow puritans in parliament. It was also not 'his' parliament at this time, Charles I was still king - Josh

[@janetlieb2507]

@@theGuardian maybe he was too busy killing The Irish!🙄

[@blueshadez5228]

*2020 anyone?*

[@bugela8070]

2021

[@bigraf3178]

Interesting

[@tobicoops498]

christmas is illegal this year too!😀😀😀😀

[@castlegate2015]

Shhh! Don't say the word Christmas, you'll get into trouble. 😢

[@arthurlewis9193]

Was this posted by someone on work experience? it's feeble even by Guardian standards.

[@davidcross9811]

Seems like it’s happening again.

[@wserthmar8908]

Perhaps, it’s a true American tradition - to be the Puritans

[@NancyDrewe]

Hmm, a ban on Christmas is even harsher than a ban on vaping in the States. Thanks, this was interesting. :)

[@FrankAndrews]

Vaping is worse than smoking

[@Kidraver555]

Cromwell was right about hedonistic christmas celebrations leading to a decadent selfish society.

[@marcustuliuscicero4605]

Cromwell was a psychotic religious extremist. He did that for power and control, not because he cared about society's welfare.

[@FrankAndrews]

@@marcustuliuscicero4605 he didn't want it, he even mocked the idea of being labeled a king.

[@marcustuliuscicero4605]

@@FrankAndrews He was much worse than any previous king England had had. He not only killed English people's fun by banning even sports and restaurants, but also committed a genocide against Irish people.

[@jacobcox4565]

@@marcustuliuscicero4605 Jeez, this guy was a real life cartoon villain, huh.

[@Goodiesfanful]

@@marcustuliuscicero4605 Cromwell was the closest England ever got to living under a dictatorship.

[@Alloneword-cp2xw]

Should happen again. No Christmas tree is put up in my house in December. I won't have lies celebrated in my house.

[@jean-louisvaillardarpin1894]

Ridiculous

[@CaligulaInvictus]

You must be a load of fun.

[@Alloneword-cp2xw]

@@CaligulaInvictus I am when not being lied to.

[@janetlieb2507]

Fine! But you have no right to dictate to others!!🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃

[@Goodiesfanful]

I don’t see how a Christmas tree is a lie. I suppose works of fiction are banned in your house too, because you think they’re lies?

[@hooray600]

how did the ordinary people think about oliver banning christmas

[@ianmorton140]

At no point did Cromwell say "Ban Christmas" it was the Puritan movement (Parliament) at that time

[@joshuawaring4180]

I’m sure The Guardian would love it.

[@Kidraver555]

Yes they are quasi puritan.

[@Maggiemanchester]

That comment you just made vanish is shameful

[@LadyPuddin]

Its the word je sus why your comment vanished

[@angelwhite2463]

I hate Christmas, but I love Jesus

[@Thrill_Hou]

Angel White I’m the opposite 😛

[@giovannicorraliza8552]

@@Thrill_Hou pls repent friend

[@pamelqtaylor8335]

So you hate the day the savior was born. Intresting

[@angelwhite2463]

@@pamelqtaylor8335 That date was chosen by Roman emperor Constantine 300+ years after the fact.

[@castlegate2015]

Christmas the Amnual Shopping Festival

[@geradbrown1663]

Cromwell and Jadis would always make it Winter but never Christmas.

[@anitachopping]

Great stuff! Constantine created this holiday. He pretended he was now Christian, made it a state religion and slapped both Christmas and Easter on top of pagan holidays. I love both times of the year.

[@floydhill9265]

This is only part of the whole story.

[@castlegate2015]

Where can we find the rest of the whole story?

[@MilesBellas]

MENTION YULE ?!

[@StellaMariaGiulia]

Virtually every tradition or festivity in Christianity is borrowed from another religion. It would be helpful keeping it in mind when people are feeling particularly zealous about their religion.

[@StellaMariaGiulia]

Fabrizio sorry to burst your bubble, sending you a hug and wishing you happy holidays.

[@DOYLETWAT]

How educated your opinion is. You clearly have a very high IQ and a delicious talent for pointing out the obvious.

[@tommyh4116]

Yawn

[@hetedeleambacht6608]

@@DOYLETWAT jealous?

[@craphead9842]

fable fable and more fable.. Tony cuenca

[@SilencedRage]

Boondocks brought me here. Huey is the truth.

[@seahorse4407]

Cromwell government was just as same as contemporary government of Afghanistan. They persecuted others in the name of puritanism, that's why some Britons are fled to Northern America.

[@1526andrews]

Not quite right. The people who boarded the Mayflower were of Cromwell's ilk. They left England after the restoration so they could set up a Puritan paradise.

[@GavinLepley]

I don’t think the martial law of the Taliban’s regime is any comparison to the Puritan theocracy of 17th century England.

[@cat-yf5uz]

Oliver and Boris are both the same

[@janetlieb2507]

Yes!!!🌛

[@anneshields2010]

Wow what a real life Grinch that guy was

[@disembodiednarrator]

Anyone notice they just copy pasted voxs style?

[@jimcalifwin3760]

Thanks. 2020 on the way soon.

[@Mega365247]

Wow, you predicted it 100% 👏 👏

[@bugela8070]

To distroy the human beings

[@pilatusk2]

Wrong

[@FreedomLovingLoyalistOfficial]

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HOW THE GUARDIAN KILLED OLIVER CROMWELL

[@YochananMat]

Cromwell Tzadak - about this anyway. (I shall have to say some hail maryz for clicking on a Guardian vid)

[@janetlieb2507]

A Blessed Yule And Joyous Saturnalia!!!🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌜🌜🌜🌜🌜🌛🌛🌛🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲

[@godlike5178]

Guardian killed off labour 🤮

[@jasonchambers8010]

No one did. They will bounce back. Look at Kinnock then Blair. 92 to 97.

[@godlike5178]

@@jasonchambers8010 sometime they will, sure ... But only if the guardian likes the leadership, of course

[@wolfgang2380]

@@jasonchambers8010 😂😂😂😂

[@aethelwolfe3539]

Worse they turned it back to the more insidious and powerful tony Blair form.

[@xelefonte]

*I hate Christmas. I wish it was banned worldwide.*

[@wolfgang2380]

Bugger off

[@xelefonte]

Dude 3 weeks ago..it’s February now

[@covenawhite4855]

Why Though ??? Or are you Joking

[@Alloneword-cp2xw]

@@covenawhite4855 it's all a lie. I don't celebrate lies. All it's about these days is consumerism and greed. It's vile.

[@janetlieb2507]

🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲

[@PeterJohnsonWales]

Well done mate. Can we bring the ban back please. Grizzle grump & bah.

[@aethelwolfe3539]

2020, leftist ban sports fun and games and partying and Christmas too.

[@ascendancy425]

Um, we have a conservative government?

[@eaglesfan226]

Nobody’s banning sports. You’re thinking those countries in FIFA and the Olympics.