The Rev. Noah Van Niel
December 12th, 2021
The Chapel of the Cross
Advent III (C): Zephaniah 3:14-20; Canticle 9; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:7-18
Did you know that in 1659, the Puritans cancelled Christmas? It’s true. In 1659, the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony decreed that “whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas or the like, either by forbearing of labor, feasting, or any other way” will be subject to a 5-shilling fine.[1] December 25th was meant to be a workday not a holiday. Part of their reasoning was scriptural—the Bible makes no mention of December 25th as being the day of Jesus’ birth, and even in the 1600’s they were aware that the Roman Catholic Church had probably picked it out to co-opt pagan festivals around the winter solstice. The other part of their reasoning was that the 17th century celebrations of Christmas they knew from their native England were getting a little out of control. People were being very merry and not all that bright. Their revelry bordered on rioting, and they spent the holiday doing whatever the 17th century equivalent of living la vida loca was. So, the Puritans, never ones for half measures, banned the holiday. And the law remained on the books until 1681. Over 20 years: No Christmas!
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