Despite what you might hear on the radio these days, Christmas hasn’t always been a jolly affair. In the 1640s, supported by Oliver Cromwell, the English Parliament passed an ordinance abolishing Christmas celebrations. Citizens were banned from celebrating Christmas in any way, especially going to Mass. The Puritans viewed the festival as an unwanted remnant of the Roman Catholic Church.

Previously, Christmas had been an important religious holiday. People attended Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve and houses were decorated with holly, ivy and mistletoe. The poor people in each village would often be treated to a sumptuous meal at the local manor house.

The Puritans now insisted that it should be a time only for fasting and prayer. This ban was hugely unpopular and despite the threat of fines and punishment many people continued to celebrate Christmas secretly. People still held Mass on December 25 to mark Christ’s nativity and also marked the day as a secular holiday.

However, even after the monarchy was restored and Christmas was celebrated openly again, it took many years for the old Christmas traditions to be revived. Decades of religious and political restrictions had caused the Christmas festivities to decline, and the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century allowed workers little time for celebrations.

Two hundred years later, Charles Dickens helped to restore much of the original spirit of Christmas. In his much-loved novel A Christmas Carol, he describes some of the bygone customs of England, and he has been credited with helping to turn Christmas into a family-centred holiday and associating it with charity for the poor. Some of the food we eat at Christmastime can be traced back to Charles Dickens, as well as the expression ‘Merry Christmas’.

Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband, was responsible for introducing the habit of decorating the Christmas tree. The singing of Christmas carols, which had all but disappeared at the turn of the century, became popular again, and the first Christmas card appeared in the 1840s.

Today, celebrating Christmas has never been easier. Thanks to the convenience of online shopping, the perfect gift is never far out of reach. Our Christmas Gift Guide is the perfect way to keep the cheer going. 

Happy Christmas and a puzzling New Year!