Why Was Christmas Banned In England

Thus students could also write their own letter using the sources.

Why was christmas banned in england. Cromwell saw christmas and its celebrations as very catholic. Why did cromwell abolish christmas. Finally all of the letters used in this lesson were written to inform their readers about england in the 1650s. In the 17th century christmas was banned in england and its territories for 17 years.

Why christmas was once illegal play video 6 59. In 1647 christmas was banned in england. This combined with the twelve days of christmas resulted in it being outlawed. It wasn t only christmas however.

It is a common myth that cromwell personally banned christmas during the mid seventeenth century. In england the ban on the holiday was lifted in 1660 when charles ii took over the throne. Christmas is the christian celebration of the birth of jesus christ which in western churches is held annually on 25 december for centuries it has been the subject of several reformations both religious and secular. Not only did they regard it as a sinful pagan inspired festival but they also associated it with the much despised catholic church.

In the 17th century the puritans had laws forbidding the celebration of christmas unlike the catholic church or the anglican church the latter from which they separated. Consider why some of these letters are now included in government papers. Some were written by people loyal to cromwell and others written by royalists were not. However the puritan presence remained in new england and christmas did not become a legal holiday.

After the puritans in england overthrew king charles i in 1647 among their first items of business after chopping off the monarch s head was to ban christmas. Christmas in 17th century england and virginia in preparation for the season many towns designated a lord of misrule the grand captain of all mischief who with 20 or more chosen lusty guts decked themselves in yellow and green scarves ribbons laces rings and jewels and processed through the town on christmas day. The puritan parliament was fiercely opposed to the drinking feasting and partying that came ever christmas. Instead it was the broader godly or parliamentary party working through and within the elected parliament which in the 1640s clamped down on the celebration of christmas and other saints and holy days a prohibition.

But it wasn t only the partying that was the reason for the ban. Christmas is a time for celebration but the festive season was once banned in england for almost 20 years sparking a second civil war. Shops were forced to stay open public drinking and festive.