When England Banned Christmas for 13 Years

For thirteen years during the 17th century, celebrating Christmas in England was a criminal offense. In June 1647, Parliament passed an ordinance banning Christmas, Easter, and Whitsun festivities entirely—no church services, no celebrations, not even festivities in your own home. Violators faced fines.

Though history often blames Oliver Cromwell, he had almost nothing to do with it. Cromwell was actually absent from Parliament when the ban passed, under threat of arrest for supporting unpaid soldiers. The ban was enacted by a Puritan-dominated Parliament during the English Civil War, years before Cromwell became Lord Protector in 1653.

Why the Puritans Hated Christmas

The Puritans—Protestants seeking to "purify" the Church of England—were horrified by how Christmas was celebrated. To them, the holiday represented everything wrong with religion:

• Too secular: People gambled, played sports, and engaged in drunken revelry
• Too Catholic: The elaborate services reminded them of Roman rituals they'd rejected
• Too pagan: Decorations, feasting, and "misrule" had non-Christian origins

They believed the Bible's holiest day deserved solemn prayer and fasting, not merrymaking. The fact that December 25 likely wasn't Jesus's actual birthday only strengthened their conviction that Christmas was a corrupt invention.

England's War on Christmas

The crackdown began earlier than 1647. In 1644, Parliament designated December 25 as a monthly day of prayer and fasting to help end the Civil War. Since Christmas that year fell on a legally mandated fast day, even eating mince pies was technically illegal—fueling the myth that Cromwell personally banned them.

But the 1647 ordinance made it official and permanent. Soldiers patrolled the streets searching for anyone preparing festive food. Markets were ordered to stay open on December 25 to emphasize it was a normal working day. Churches remained locked.

The People Fought Back

The Christmas ban was wildly unpopular. Riots broke out in Kent and other regions in December 1647 as people protested being denied their traditional celebrations. For over a decade, families risked fines to secretly exchange gifts or cook special meals behind closed doors.

When the monarchy was restored in 1660 under King Charles II, one of England's first acts was bringing back Christmas. The celebration—complete with all the "immoral" feasting, games, and revelry the Puritans despised—returned with a vengeance.

Cromwell's main role? Simply choosing not to reverse what Parliament had already done. But his face became synonymous with the Interregnum period, and history stuck him with the blame.