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Christmas observance once illegal in early America
The article traces how Christmas was banned or frowned upon by Puritans in New England, with laws in Massachusetts fining observers. It notes Dutch and Southern colonial traditions, and shifts in attitude by the 19th and 20th centuries as Christmas became widely celebrated across denominations and cultures. It mentions Washington’s 1776 Christmas Crossing as a contextual note and ends with a reflection on the current global Christian observance and messaging of the holiday.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New England
Compton
Pictured Encyclopedia
England
New Amsterdam
St. Nicholas
Washington
Deaware River
Trenton