The English Lord Who Allegedly Banned Christmas
Thou shalt not celebrate Christmas!
The middle part of the 17th century was not a good time for people who love Christmas. England was in complete upheaval. The Protestant Reformation pit Protestants against Catholics all across Europe and previously accepted practices administered by the church, such as Christmas celebrations, were seen with growing suspicion and malice. Someone caught celebrating Christmas could have been accused of being a Catholic, a death sentence in some parts of the country.
These feelings were felt strongly by the Puritans and the Godly in England. These groups were led both officially and in spirit by Oliver Cromwell, the man who was waging the bloody civil war against the crown. Cromwell’s Puritans thought Christmas was many things and none of them were good.
Christmas is never mentioned in the Bible. Birthdays are pagan in origin. Christmas is, inherently, Catholic. Winter celebrations often devolved into ungodly displays of drunkenness and debauchery. These were the views that Puritans had of Christmas, views that Oliver Cromwell held and was fighting for in the field.
So in 1647, the English parliament passed a bill banning Christmas celebrations. There would be no more festivities in the land.
