Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
The War on Christmas by Christians: Luckily Christmas is Winning
By Dr. Brian CarrBack in the 1600s, said Fea, Christmas was a week-long work-free "raucous" spectacle characterized by partying, drinking and parades. Fed up with its coarseness, the Puritans made it illegal to celebrate Christmas for 50 years that same century. When the holiday did take on a more national appeal, Fea said that it quickly became overwhelmed by consumerism.
It was the committed Christians of early America, The Puritans who did not appreciate a holiday that reeked to them of papish paganism. An unofficial prohibition on the holiday in the early years of the New England settlement became an official ban in 1659, and lasted until 1881, more than 20 years after the Restoration made England safe for Catholicism-derived cultural celebrations once again.
Disdain for Christmas survived the Puritans and stretched much farther than New England: well into the 19th century, Congress met on Christmas Day, schools and businesses were open, and some churches even closed their doors to prevent worshipers from praying on the 25th. New England Congregationalists certainly discouraged celebration of Christmas, but so did Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Quakers, practically until the dawn of the 20th century, by which time Christmas had become fashionable among the middle class.
So, the next time you hear Sarah Palin or Bill O-Reilly calling for action in the “War on Christmas” just remember that the war was fought centuries ago by Christians who opposed the holiday.
Thankfully Christmas won!
It was the committed Christians of early America, The Puritans who did not appreciate a holiday that reeked to them of papish paganism. An unofficial prohibition on the holiday in the early years of the New England settlement became an official ban in 1659, and lasted until 1881, more than 20 years after the Restoration made England safe for Catholicism-derived cultural celebrations once again.
Disdain for Christmas survived the Puritans and stretched much farther than New England: well into the 19th century, Congress met on Christmas Day, schools and businesses were open, and some churches even closed their doors to prevent worshipers from praying on the 25th. New England Congregationalists certainly discouraged celebration of Christmas, but so did Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Quakers, practically until the dawn of the 20th century, by which time Christmas had become fashionable among the middle class.
So, the next time you hear Sarah Palin or Bill O-Reilly calling for action in the “War on Christmas” just remember that the war was fought centuries ago by Christians who opposed the holiday.
Thankfully Christmas won!
The complete article is at http://lubbockonline.com/interact/blog-post/dr-brian-carr/2013-12-22/war-christmas-christians-luckily-christmas-winning .
1 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
