Christmas in Early America
We hear today from the Evangelical right about how it is important to put Christ back into Christmas (a good thought) and to think twice about shopping in stores who use the term “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.” They push very hard the premise that our Founding Fathers always started a session of Congress with a prayer, bringing religion into our newborn republic. We also hear from right wing pundits (on FOX) about how we need to get back to the holiday spirit of those who fled England (Pilgrims) for religious freedom and celebrated Christmas and not a winter Holiday.
Boy, have they got their facts twisted and wrong.
To begin with Congress in 1789, the year of the signing of the U.S. Constitution, met on December 25th for a regular session of the body and continued to do so for 25 years. They did not consider the day a holiday. In fact Congress did not declare Christmas to be a legal holiday until June of 1870. Up until then it had been “Bah, humbug.”
The story of both the Pilgrims and the Puritans celebrating Christmas is pure hogwash.
The Pilgrims did not celebrate Christmas and Easter. They believed that these holidays were invented by man to memorialize Jesus, and are not prescribed by the Bible or celebrated by the early Christian churches, and therefore cannot be considered Holy days. "It seems too much for any mortal man to appoint, or make an anniversary memorial" for Christ, taught the Pilgrims' pastor John Robinson. Since Christmas was not mentioned in the Bible the Pilgrims ignored the holiday. They disapproved of the way their fellow Englishmen celebrated the day with parties, feasting, drinking, and bawdy behavior in some instances. The Pilgrims were a very no nonsense, no frills type of people. If the Bible didn’t direct it, they didn’t do it. This means they didn’t buy into any additions made to Christianity especially church traditions.
To go further, The Pilgrims considered marriage a civil affair, not to be handled by the church ministers, but instead by civil magistrates. Marriage was a contract, mutually agreed upon by a man and a woman. Marriage was created by God for the benefit of man's natural and spiritual life.
As for the Puritans, they didn’t trouble themselves. They just outlawed the holiday.
In fact, by Christmas, 1659 the Five-Shilling Anti-Christmas Law was enacted by the General Court of Massachusetts. The law stated:
Whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas, or the like, either by forebearing labor, feasting, or any other way upon such account as aforesaid, every such person so offending shall pay for each offense five shillings as a fine to the country.
Boston actually outlawed the celebration of Christmas from 1659 to 1681.
Even after the law was set aside in 1681, New Englanders were slow to accept Christmas. The customs of gift giving and parties and even decorations were considered to be pagan customs. My research indicates even as late as 1870 Boston schools held classes on Christmas Day.
In no way do I mean to denigrate the celebration of Christmas and bringing more faith and religion into the holiday. What I object to is those who would twist our country’s history for their own religious or political purposes, either intentionally or out of complete lazy ignorance. If I can find this information so easily on the internet, their huge staffs could do the same, if instructed to do so.
Enjoy your holiday no matter what your faith. Merry Christmas and Happy Channukah.
Boy, have they got their facts twisted and wrong.
To begin with Congress in 1789, the year of the signing of the U.S. Constitution, met on December 25th for a regular session of the body and continued to do so for 25 years. They did not consider the day a holiday. In fact Congress did not declare Christmas to be a legal holiday until June of 1870. Up until then it had been “Bah, humbug.”
The story of both the Pilgrims and the Puritans celebrating Christmas is pure hogwash.
The Pilgrims did not celebrate Christmas and Easter. They believed that these holidays were invented by man to memorialize Jesus, and are not prescribed by the Bible or celebrated by the early Christian churches, and therefore cannot be considered Holy days. "It seems too much for any mortal man to appoint, or make an anniversary memorial" for Christ, taught the Pilgrims' pastor John Robinson. Since Christmas was not mentioned in the Bible the Pilgrims ignored the holiday. They disapproved of the way their fellow Englishmen celebrated the day with parties, feasting, drinking, and bawdy behavior in some instances. The Pilgrims were a very no nonsense, no frills type of people. If the Bible didn’t direct it, they didn’t do it. This means they didn’t buy into any additions made to Christianity especially church traditions.
To go further, The Pilgrims considered marriage a civil affair, not to be handled by the church ministers, but instead by civil magistrates. Marriage was a contract, mutually agreed upon by a man and a woman. Marriage was created by God for the benefit of man's natural and spiritual life.
As for the Puritans, they didn’t trouble themselves. They just outlawed the holiday.
In fact, by Christmas, 1659 the Five-Shilling Anti-Christmas Law was enacted by the General Court of Massachusetts. The law stated:
Whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas, or the like, either by forebearing labor, feasting, or any other way upon such account as aforesaid, every such person so offending shall pay for each offense five shillings as a fine to the country.
Boston actually outlawed the celebration of Christmas from 1659 to 1681.
Even after the law was set aside in 1681, New Englanders were slow to accept Christmas. The customs of gift giving and parties and even decorations were considered to be pagan customs. My research indicates even as late as 1870 Boston schools held classes on Christmas Day.
In no way do I mean to denigrate the celebration of Christmas and bringing more faith and religion into the holiday. What I object to is those who would twist our country’s history for their own religious or political purposes, either intentionally or out of complete lazy ignorance. If I can find this information so easily on the internet, their huge staffs could do the same, if instructed to do so.
Enjoy your holiday no matter what your faith. Merry Christmas and Happy Channukah.
posted by Sam Schoolsky | 10:00 AM
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