Introduction
It was difficult enough to eke out a living along the frontier of the Massachusetts Bay Colony when Chelmsford was founded, especially for the children. Still, it’s hard to imagine that, at one time, Christmas was actually illegal in the town of Chelmsford.
In 1659, a Puritan law made celebrating Christmas or even refraining from work to mark the day a punishable offense, carrying a fine of five shillings. The Puritans considered Christmas too Catholic, unbiblical (not described in scripture), and associated with disorderly behavior. The ban remained in effect until 1681, when it was repealed under pressure from England. However, celebrating Christmas continued to be socially frowned upon well into the 1700s.
It wasn’t until 1856 that Christmas became a legal holiday, thanks largely to the influence of non-Puritan immigrant groups who brought with them their own festive traditions.
The 1659 law
“For preventing disorders arising in several places within this jurisdiction, by reason of some still observing such festivals as were superstitiously kept in other countries, to the great dishonor of God and offense of others:
“It is therefore ordered by this Court and the authority thereof, that whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas or the like, either by forbearing of labor, feasting, or any other way, upon any such account as aforesaid, every such person so offending shall pay for every such offense five shillings, as a fine to the county.” (1)
Key points
- The offense was observing Christmas “as such”
- Merely forbearing labor (not working) could trigger the fine
- The fine went to the county, not the town
- The law framed Christmas as a “superstitious” festival
References:
(1) From the Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, Vol. IV, Part I (Boston, 1854), p. 366:
Leave a Reply