Christmas in New England: The Real Story

What could be a more perfect setting for Christmas than Colonial New England with its snow covered landscapes, bounty of fir trees, and deeply religious population? As we look back it appears to be the inspiration for those nostalgic Christmastimes when the season was celebrated with family and friends, yet without the commercialism of today.

Although he wasn't born until much later, Charles Dickens nevertheless summed up the Colonial New England attitude when he wrote, "Bah! Humbug!" That's right, the Colonial New Englanders had no use for Christmas. Most considered the holiday to be a "popish" creation and wanted nothing to do with it.

The Puritan fathers were serious about observing the Sabbath and only the Sabbath. They passed laws forbidding the observance of Christmas. In Boston the law against observing any day other than the Sabbath was passed in 1659. Although it was repealed in 1681, December 25 continued to be a normal work/school day for close to 200 years.

While the celebration of Christmas came more easily to the colonials outside of New England, acceptance in New England was slow to take hold. Resistance by the government and mainstream folks was strong.

In New Hampshire, the provincial Assembly passed a law known as, "An Act To Prevent And Punish Disorders Usually Committed On The Twenty Fifth Day Of December Commonly Called Christmas-Day The Evening Preceeding & Following Said Day And To Prevent Other Irregularities Committed At Other Times." (Anderson, p 59)

The Act was passed on December 23, 1771 and remained in effect for three years. At the time, the colonial government was seated in Portsmouth and the law concerned itself with goings on in the streets of the city. In general, it sought to stop "Loose Idle Persons going about the streets in Companies in a roisterous & Tumultuous manner halooing huzzaing firing guns beating drums to the great disturbance & Terror of many of the inhabitants on the evening Preceeding and evening following said Day and ... the barbarous and inhuman custom of throwing Clubs at Tame Fowl..." The law prohibited boys from playing ball in the streets lest they break windows in nearby buildings. A speed limit of five miles per hour was set for those riding their horses; galloping was strictly forbidden. "Negroes and other servants" were not allowed to play games in the street because it "might lead to unlawful pursuit of money." Most importantly, these laws were designed to protect the peace and tranquility of Portsmouth during that time known as Christmas.

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