Was the Celebration of Christmas Illegal in the U.S. Until 1836?
The final weeks of every year see the “War on Christmas” return to television panel debates and newspaper columns in the United States, bringing (dubious) claims that modern American society has progressively marginalized and turned against public expressions of Christianity.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
At one time, in both American and English history, Christmas was indeed regarded as a pagan holiday, but it’s not true to say that the festival was banned in the United States until 1836.
Neither the meme itself nor “For Truth Not Religion” cited any sources, but the two archaic notices shown in the meme provided some clue as to the origins of the claim.
he first was a law passed by the General Court in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1659, which read as follows:
Publick Notice
For the preventing of disorders, arising in several places within this jurisdiction by reason of some still observing such festivals as were superstitiously kept in other communities, to the great dishonour of God and offense of others. It is therefore ordered by this court and the authority thereof that whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas or the like — either by forbearing labour, feasting or any other way, upon any such account as aforesaid, every such person so offending shall pay for every such offense five shilling as a fine to the county. Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1659.
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