The Puritans Hated Christmas
Despite being some of the most religious people in the history of Christianity, the Puritans really hated Christmas.
But they actually had some pretty good reasons. The top activities enjoyed by people in New England during Christmas were:
- Firing off guns into the air.
- Getting incredibly drunk.
- Having sex with people (including people not your wife!)
- Mummering.
- Not going to work.
The Puritans hated all those things, but mummering is the one they hated the most. Mummering or mumming involved dressing up as an animal or cross-dressing. Particularly popular was men dressing up as women.
Across the ocean, the Puritan government of Oliver Cromwell in England likewise banned Christmas for the same reasons.
The Founding Fathers Did Not Celebrate Christmas
That’s right. George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and the other “Founding Fathers” did not celebrate…
