In the seventeenth century in both England and New England, the Puritans rejected Christmas as unbiblical, loathed it for its “papist” name, that is, “Christ’s Mass,” and actually outlawed Christmas where and when they dominated the government. But in both England and America the views of larger bodies of Christians prevailed, and in the eighteenth century Christmas continued to be observed, although primarily as an adult holiday, replete with much food and alcohol.
