Description
The Banned Celebration
We all know about the Pilgrims, a group of Puritan Separatists who came to America for religious freedom and celebrated the well-known First Thanksgiving in 1621. However, when it came to observing Christmas, it was on the chopping block.
European Christmas traditions of the time included loud caroling, public drinking, feasting, and boisterous behavior. The Puritans wanted nothing to do with such celebrations or the Catholic and Anglican churches, which they had left Europe for the New World to avoid. They scorned Christian religious holidays like Christmas and Easter because they were not mentioned in the Bible and the date of Christ’s birth was not listed. Furthermore, the Puritans regarded Christmas as a remnant of paganism. They considered fourth-century Christians as acting blasphemously, borrowing December 25th from a pagan festival, Saturnalia, which celebrated the winter solstice. They wanted to abandon any traditions that they thought interfered with the sanctity of Christianity. The devout Puritans were having none of it!
Reverend John Robinson, a Pilgrim spiritual leader, lamented that individuals who celebrated Easter and Christmas were NOT true Christians as long as they persisted in recognizing these days. A woman named Increase Mather wrote in her diary that “men dishonor Christ more in the 12 days of Christmas than in all 12 months of the year.”
The Pilgrims first arrived on the Mayflower on December 21, 1620. On Christmas Day, men left the ship to cut and saw timber to build houses. Passengers who stayed on the ship did enjoy some beer from the ship’s provisions, but that was the extent of the merrymaking.
Almost a year later, in November 1621, a second group of colonists arrived in Plymouth. They were mostly bachelors, and unlike the original colonists, they did not come for only religious reasons. They were seeking financial gain from the abundant land and resources of the area.
The Pilgrims got ready to go to work on Christmas morning, 1621. However, some of the newcomers to the colony objected. Governor Bradford wrote that “most of the new company excused themselves and said it went against their consciences to work on that day.” Since it was a matter of conscience, Bradford agreed to “spare them until they were better informed.” The governor assumed that they would return to their homes and privately celebrate Christmas in prayer. On returning from work, Governor Bradford was appalled to find the men openly playing sports such as pitching the barr and stoole-ball [similar to cricket] in the street. Bradford confiscated their sports equipment, saying “there should be no gaming or reveling in the streets” and it was “against his conscience that they should play and others work.”
Apparently, not every person living in the colony rejected Christmas. Because some people still made merry, a law was deemed necessary. In 1659, the law book of the Massachusetts Bay Colony shows an edict banning Christmas. It said that to prevent disorders arising in several places, by observing such festivals “that were superstitiously kept in other countries,” that anyone who was found “observing any such day as Christmas or the like, either by forbearing of labor [not working], feasting, or any other way” would pay a fine of five shillings to the county. Laws suppressing celebrating Christmas were repealed in 1681, but Puritan believers refused to condone it. Evergreen decorations, associated with paganism, were forbidden in Puritan meeting houses and discouraged in individual homes. Merrymakers were still prosecuted for disturbing the peace.
In 1856, Christmas became a public holiday in Massachusetts and was declared a National holiday in 1870. However, that same year, classes were scheduled in Boston public schools on Christmas Day—and punishments were given out to children who chose to stay home and with their families to celebrate!
If we judge the Puritan settlers through the lens of 21st century standards, we would condemn their lack of tolerance. However, it is good to remember that their motive for coming to America was for religious freedom as Christians, to worship God as they believed was correct. We honor their legacy that helped shape our country.
Sources:
https://newengland.com/today/living/new-england-history/how-the-puritans-banned-christmas/
https://www.boston.com/news/history/2017/12/25/plymouth-colony-christmas-1621/
This story was written by Jean Tonioli
Copyright Glenn Rawson 2022
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