All the Scrooge countries that once banned Christmas – and Britain was first | CPT PPP Coverage

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Christmas was banned in England in the 1600s and decorations, parties, and feasting were all forbidden. Other countries followed and some parts of the world still do not allow festive celebrations

Britain was one of the first countries to make Christmas illegal – banning the festivities for 13 years.

While many of us have had the same Christmas traditions for years, the festive period has changed significantly over time. Father Christmas was originally known for wearing a green outfit, Elizabethans would play ‘shoe the mare’, and the 12 days of Christmas song used to involved mince pies.

While traditions have changed, the festive period remains the most popular and busy public holiday around the world. But can you imagine the possibility of the joyous season being banned?

Christmas has existed since December 25, 336 AD, but it was actually banned in the 1600s in many countries. It is often rumoured that the US state of Massachusetts was the first to ban Christmas, but it was first banned in England, Scotland, and Ireland.

During Oliver Cromwell’s reign as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth, Christmas was abolished as a holiday in 1647, reports Historic England. As Cromwell was a Puritan he saw Christmas as a wasteful festival that threatened Christian beliefs and encouraged ‘abnormal’ activates, excessive social behaviour, and long-cherished rituals.

Decorations, gatherings, and more were all banned – which caused rebellious riots. Soldiers were ordered to patrol the streets of London at the time, seizing any food they discovered being prepared for Christmas celebrations. The Puritan community dubbed Christmas festivities as the ‘great dishonour of God’.

The banning was ultimately a disaster and it was removed in 1660 by the monarch, and people have been celebrating it ever since in the UK. So we have King Charles II to thank for being able to sit down to your turkey and hang our sparkly lights every year.

Join The Mirror’s Christmas WhatsApp Community to get festive news straight to your phone.

Although Christmas is widely celebrated around the world, not everyone has the right to celebrate it. In recent years, the republic of Tajikistan put a ban on Christmas trees, fireworks, Christmas dinner, presents, collecting money, and Santa Claus costumes. Meanwhile Brunei people can celebrate Christmas but not in public to this day.

Saudi Arabia has banned ‘visible signs’ of Christmas celebrations, and some areas of China are prohibited from the public holiday. North Korea is one of the most hostile places in the world to celebrate Christmas; anyone found celebrating can be sent to prison or face drastic punishments.

Albanian citizens could not celebrate Christmas until 1990 – prior to this it was an atheist state. Christmas was also banned in Massachusetts, USA, from 1659 until 1681. Anyone who was found ‘forbearing of labour, feasting, or any other way… whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Xmas or the like’ would be fined. In 1840 it become a legally recognised holiday in the state.

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