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Analysis: Christmas was canceled in 1647, but people fed up with restrictions and financial difficulties ignored the rules.
By Martyn Bennett, Nottingham Trent University
The prospect of a Christmas without large-scale celebrations is taking over minds. After the widespread cancellation of pantomimes, holiday lights ‘flicks’ and other community activities, it seems likely that the 2020 festivities will be much more intimate affairs, potentially with a ban on homes to mingle indoors.
But what if families ignore the rules of distancing, should they stay in place and celebrate together instead of in Zoom? Politicians looking to be tough on rule breakers may wish to recall a previously restricted yuletide.
Christmas is canceled
In 1647, Christmas was banned in the kingdoms of England (which at the time included Wales), Scotland, and Ireland and it didn’t work out very well. After the total ban on everything festive, from decorations to gatherings, rebellions broke out across the country. While some activities took the form of hanging Holly in defiance, other actions were much more radical and had historic consequences.
By 1647, Parliament had won the civil war in England, Scotland, and Ireland and King Charles was in captivity at Hampton Court. The Church of England had been abolished and replaced by a Presbyterian system.
The Protestant Reformation had restructured churches in the British Isles and the holy days, including Christmas, were abolished. The usual festivities during the 12 days of Christmas (December 25 to January 5) were deemed unacceptable. The stores were to remain open throughout Christmas, including Christmas Day. Displays of Christmas decorations (holly, ivy, and other evergreens) were banned. Other traditions were also restricted, such as the festival and the festive consumption of alcohol, which was consumed in large quantities then as now.
Christmas Day, however, was not uneventful. People from England, Scotland and Ireland disobeyed the rules. In Norwich, the mayor had already received a petition calling for a traditional Christmas celebration. He couldn’t allow this publicly, but he ignored the illegal celebrations across the city.
In Canterbury, the usual Christmas football game was played and holly bushes were placed outside the doors of houses. During the 12 days of Christmas, the party swept across Kent and armed force had to be used to break the fun.
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From Morning Ireland of RTÉ Radio 1, Fran McNulty on the difficulties that Covid-19 has caused to prepare turkeys for Christmas
Christmas Day was celebrated in the heart of Westminster and the guardians of St. Margaret’s Church (which is part of Westminster Abbey) were arrested for failing to stop the party. The streets of London were adorned with holly and ivy and the shops were closed. The mayor of London was verbally assaulted as he attempted to tear off the Christmas decorations with the help of the city’s own battle-hardened regiments of veterans.
Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk also celebrated Christmas loudly. Young men armed with spiked clubs patrolled the streets persuading merchants to stay closed.
Taking up arms and breaking the rules wasn’t just about experiencing the fun of the season. Fighting the Christmas ban was a political act. Things had changed and the Christmas rebellion was as much a protest against the “new normal” as against the prohibition of fun. The people were fed up with a series of restrictions and financial difficulties that came with the Presbyterian system and the aftermath of the civil war.
The worst Christmas hangover
The aftermath of the Norwich Christmas riots were the most dramatic. The mayor was summoned to London in April 1648 to explain his failure to ban the Christmas holidays, but a crowd closed the city gates to prevent him from being taken away. The armed forces were again deployed, and in the unrest that followed, the city’s ammunition warehouse exploded, killing at least 40 people.
Norwich was not alone. In Kent, the grand jury decided that the rioters going to the Christmas party had no choice but to respond to the law and the county exuberantly rebelled against parliament. The royalists capitalized on popular discontent and began to organize the rioters.
Successively in 1647 and 1648, the parties provoked riots, these riots led to rebellions, which, in turn, caused the Second Civil War that summer. King Charles was tried after his defeat in the war and was executed. This resulted in a revolution and Great Britain and Ireland became a republic, all thanks to Christmas.
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From RTÉ One’s Six One News, what will the Christmas celebrations be like this year?
This Christmas, police across England are ready to enforce Covid regulations and break up the meetings. While the pandemic makes things different, since breaking the rules is as much a safety issue as anything else, politicians could learn from the fallout from the last time Christmas was canceled.
As in 1647, many people today are fed up with government restrictions. Many have also suffered financial difficulties as a result of Covid regulations. Some may protest the idea of ending a miserable year under what they may see as contradictory restrictions on family fun.
This situation should be handled with caution. There has already been civil disorder due to the confinements. Vaccines are apparently coming in the new year, but the last thing the country needs is more unrest. Once again, the government will have to balance the health risk with other societal challenges that this pandemic has presented.
Martyn Bennett is Professor of Early Modern History at Nottingham Trent University. This article originally appeared on The Conversation.
The opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the opinions of RTÉ
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