There are times when you despair on the current insistence about being politically correct for anything which moves. This year our local Christmas Fair has been renamed as the Frost Fair ..... what is that all about ? It is just another example of an attempt to re-write our heritage so that we don't upset anyone.
But this is nothing like as bad as when Christmas was actually cancelled by legislation .........
But this is nothing like as bad as when Christmas was actually cancelled by legislation .........
Towards the end of the first civil war (1642-1646) parliament was dominated by Presbyterian MPs in the war against King Charles I. Anglican church festivals were felt to be too similar to Roman Catholic ceremonies and in 1645 parliament ordered that there should be no public holiday, shops should stay open on 25 December and no one was to decorate their houses with holly, sing carols or celebrate in any way. Even using the word "Christmas" became a serious offense. The whole festival of Christmas was anathema to the new religious regime which insisted on church attendance every Sunday with regular fasts rather than, what they considered to be, irreverent over eating, drunkenness and debauchery.
However, they might try but you can't stop the masses from enjoying their annual festivities. In 1647 there were major riots in London when the authorities forcibly attempted to stop people celebrating Christmas. As a mark of protest shops closed for the day and holly was hung in doorways.
The unrest led to a resumption of the civil war which eventually saw the execution of the King in 1649. The subsequent republican regime, partly under the rule of Oliver Cromwell, neither officially sanctioned nor suppressed Christmas.
After Charles II came to the throne, all legislation passed between 1642 and 1660 was declared null and void which meant everyone could once again enjoy their over eating and debauchery.
The attack on Christmas failed in 1647 - let's hope it fails again in the 21st century.
The unrest led to a resumption of the civil war which eventually saw the execution of the King in 1649. The subsequent republican regime, partly under the rule of Oliver Cromwell, neither officially sanctioned nor suppressed Christmas.
After Charles II came to the throne, all legislation passed between 1642 and 1660 was declared null and void which meant everyone could once again enjoy their over eating and debauchery.
The attack on Christmas failed in 1647 - let's hope it fails again in the 21st century.