Have a Merry Winthrop Christmas!

Hi!

When I was five, I first realized that not everyone celebrates Christmas.  The day started innocently enough, while we were visiting my grandparents for Christmas.  Since I was so excited for Christmas, my parents suggested I run some errands with my grandparents.  Thinking it would make time go faster, I eagerly accepted.  We bought some delicious cookies at the grocery store, filled up the gas tank and stopped at the local Jewish Community Center (JCC) to pay for next year's water aerobics classes.  The JCC is the Jewish equivalent to the Christian YMCA and provides fitness classes to the general public.

While we were leaving, I noticed the absence of a Christmas tree.  Confused, I asked my grandmother why the JCC didn't have a Christmas tree?  My grandmother, a blunt Irish woman in a hurry said, "Haven't your parents taught you anything?  Jews don't celebrate Christmas."  This was shocking for a five year old, who was growing up in the heavily Protestant Midwest.  It was like someone told me Santa Claus didn't exist.  "Those poor Jewish children," I cried as I got into the car, "Santa doesn't bring them presents."  My grandmother, who was never the sympathetic type, told me to "buck up."

When I got back to my grandparent's house, my grandmother calmly explained to my parents why I was crying.  I told them I was sad for all the Jewish children that didn't get presents on Christmas and wanted to start a toy drive like I saw on television.  My mother is a gentler soul and told me that the Jews didn't believe in Jesus, so that's why they don't celebrate Christmas.  "Don't worry," she said gently, "Jewish children get presents on Hanukkah."  Looking back, I'm applaud by my materialistic views of Christmas, but knowing that Jewish children also got presents in December made me feel better.  After all, I felt it was only fair that all children should get presents. 

"No Christmas for you!"~pretend quote from Oliver Cromwell

Later in life when I began studying history in earnest, I realized there were Christians that didn't celebrate Christmas.  Besides..."What the Heck" (never scream this in a library), I was appalled by the prudish Puritans, who in the 16th and 17th centuries didn't celebrate Christmas.  As a matter of fact, Oliver Cromwell, a Puritan and the English Parliament, outlawed the celebration of Christmas after the English Civil War. Cooking goose was banned, caroling and decorations such as holly were also outlawed. Christmas under Cromwell was a dismal affair.  (For those of you who are not familiar with beliefs of the Puritans, please read my previous post; These Ain't Your Mama's Puritans. 

So what possible reason could Oliver Cromwell and his cronies have for banning Christmas? According to the book America's Forgotten Founding Father by Francis Bremer, the Puritans loathed Christmas because it had become to commercialized.  While Santa wasn't appearing at malls and department stores weren't pressuring parents to purchase the latest toys, the Christmas celebrations of 16th and 17th century were full of drunkenness, gluttony and sexual misconduct.  Not only did Oliver Cromwell and his followers want to stop this behavior, but they felt that Christmas didn't even have no scriptural bases.  Yes, Jesus' birth is in the Bible, but the Christmas was started in the fourth century to Christianize the winter solstice.  Therefore, some Puritans felt that Christians shouldn't be celebrating this drunken, pagan holiday.

Have a Merry Winthrop Christmas.

Not all Puritans, however, wanted to ban the celebration outright.  John Winthrop, the leader of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, hated the licentious behavior he witnessed during Christmas.  Instead of banning Christmas in the new Massachusetts Bay Colony, however, he encouraged a day of fasting and prayer.  Through prayer and fasting, Winthrop reminded his fellow Puritans the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ.

Does any of this sound familiar?  During the Christmas season, we are constantly bombarded by the conflicting meanings of Christmas.  Retailers want us to buy more, while religious leaders want us to reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ.  The over commercialization of Christmas makes many people sick, so it's no wonder that the Puritans felt they had to take drastic measures.  While I don't believe we should ban Christmas, John Winthrop's Christmas filled with prayer and fasting has some attraction:  Less stress and more focus on the birth of our savior.  So if you celebrate Christmas, I hope you have a Merry Winthrop Christmas.

Tea at Trianon: The Ban on Christmas

John Winthrop wishes you an unhappy Christmas.

Later today I will be discussing Christians who don't celebrate Christmas. Elena at "Tea at Trianon" has already begun the discussion on the Puritans banning Christmas during the Interregnum period. I would like to say that great minds think alike, but she's quite superior to me. Enjoy!

Tea at Trianon: The Ban on Christmas

Saints Behaving Badly...

Even the birds know he's a saint!

When I was a little girl, I attended my catechism religiously.  Since I was born after Vatican II, Catholic saints took a back seat to other practices, but I still found myself learning about St. Patrick who brought Christianity to Ireland, St. Francis who gave everything he had to the poor and the Virgin Mary who willingly gave birth to God's son.

The purpose of saints, I was taught, was to show Catholics that anyone could live a life of faith.  Unlike Jesus, who was divine, saints were human and subject to the same human flaws we all have.  If they could give everything to the poor and remain faithful when persecuted for their faith, we should be able to as well.  This seemed logical when I was ten, but as I grew older, the more inadequate saints made me feel.

Take the example of St. Francis, who was born into a wealthy family and gave up everything to live like a poor man.  He started the Franciscan order and gained the attention of the future St. Claire, founder of the poor Claire's.  St. Francis and his friars preached the gospel to the common people and sinners of their day.  Unlike other monastic houses of the time, the Franciscans didn't rely on the sale of crops or donations to support their community.  They begged for their bread and relied on God's providence wherever they went.

St. Francis' life was commendable, but how could a person like me ever live up to that standard?  I'm materialistic, like good food, am sickly and while I'm generous with my money, I could never give it all away.  Until college I never felt that being saintly was an option, because the bar had been set to high.

"Theresa, I would like to introduce you to my friend St. Augustine."~quote from my college professor

That's until I met St. Augustine.  Before taking a Medieval history class, I had never heard of the man before, but instantly took a strong interest in him.  Born during the waning years of the Roman Empire, Augustine was born in present day Tunisia.  While his mother St. Monica was a devote Christian, his father was a pagan.  For much of his youth, Augustine had a typical Roman upbringing.  He studied Latin, philosophy and rhetoric, went to the bath houses, picked up women and even had a mistress and illegitimate child.  Now, how's that for saintly behavior?  While St. Augustine eventually converted and lived a more pious life, this shows that saints began just like us.

Unsaintly behavior, however, can occur at any point in a saint's life, as demonstrated in my previous post, "Behave or Santa Will Slap You?"  St. Nicholas was the bishop of Myra and attend the famous Council of Nicaea.  Ordered by the first Christian Emperor Constantine, the consul was to settle the doctrinal disputes of the day and create a uniform Christian creed.  A man named Arius promoted the belief that Jesus wasn't God, which enraged good old St. Nick.  Out of a fit of passion, St. Nicholas slapped Arius (very unsaintly behavior) and was removed from the council by Emperor Constantine.

"I want to suck...the puss from that wound."~pretend quote from Catherine of Sienna

Not only did saints behave poorly, some even had mental problems.  Catherine of Sienna, born in 1347 in Italy, advised kings and popes, cared for the sick and ate the lice and sucked the pus from leapers.  Yea...that last part is a little weird.  Obviously Catherine didn't suffer from an obsessive-compulsive disorder, but something much more troubling.  What ever her illness, the Medieval world viewed it as another aspect of her saintliness.

Much like other historical figures, such as Anne Boleyn, Mary, Queen of Scots and the Puritans, saints were multidimensional people showing great devotion to God and the poor, but quick to sin like the rest of us.  Knowing that saints had violent tempers, sexual desires and metal illnesses makes them more real and accessible.  It seems to me, that some of the greatest sinners, make the best saints.

The Problem With Being Merry!

"We may look peaceful, but watch out!"

I feel I can't justify giving the Pilgrims only one post.  We only think of them around Thanksgiving and associate them with pumpkin pies, green bean casseroles and a turkey baking in an oven.  The Pilgrims are more than food.  They were devoted to God and left their homeland for the promise of religious freedom.  However, a man named Thomas Morton, would threaten their utopia.

Thomas Morton arrived in what is now Quincy, Massachusetts in 1625, shortly before he was to accompany Captain Wollaston and several men to Virginia.  Morton, however, decided not to go to Virginia.  Instead he remained in Massachusetts, removed Wollaston's lieutenant and renamed the existing settlement Merry Mount.  Morton wasn't a religious radical like the Pilgrims.  He was a full-blooded Anglican who openly had intimate relations with native women, celebrated all the old English holidays with lots of drinking and continued the pagan practice of the Maypole.

Merry Mount was a neighboring settlement of Plymouth and instead of having a nice block party in May, an unfortunate and hysterical incident occurred.  Morton nor William Bradford, however, would ever find this story funny and are rolling in their graves as I write.  None the less, historians and authors such as Nathaniel Hawthorne have found this incident funny enough.

The Pilgrims, motivated by jealousy (the Indians preferred trading with Morton over the Pilgrims) and desiring their land not to be corrupted by sinful, pagan behavior, arrested Morton during the annual May Day festival.  Being to drunk to resist, the Pilgrims arrested him and cut down the Maypole.  The only person hurt was one of Morton's men, who was so inebriated he walked into Captain Miles Standish's sword and got a nose bleed.

The May-Pole at Merry Mount

After the arrest, Morton was exiled to the Island of Shoals with nothing more than the clothes on his back.  Luckily for Morton, the Indians took pity on him and feed and clothed him until an English fishing boat would rescue him.  Morton, however, was never one to give up and returned to New England several years later.  The Puritans, hating him even more than the Pilgrims, arrested him, tried him in a court of law and sentenced him first to the stocks and than exile.  The exact charges against Morton are unknown, because even the Puritans knew he wasn't guilty of anything.

When you sit down for your Thanksgiving dinner next Thursday, remember that the Pilgrims, like any other group in history, were a complicated bunch with conflicting desires.  They sought religious freedom and bravely sailed across the ocean to an unknown land.  Their desire for religious freedom, however, only applied to themselves

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Today's Tongue Twister: All Pilgrims Are Puritans, But Not All Puritans are Pilgrims

"See, I'm right.  Pilgrims always have food!"~me

Pilgrims are a fresh pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes and gravy with a hint of turkey dancing through the air.  Thanksgiving, the most gluttonous of all fall feast, is the only time I think of the Pilgrims.  I don't think of them as trailblazers or a highly religious people who desired freedom.  Instead, I think of green bean casseroles and dinner rolls.  I'm not alone in Pilgrim = food association.  In the supermarket, on TV and even my husband's Pilgrim candlesticks are holding food and smiling as though they have no care in the world.

Before I get carried away, I think it may be wise to define some terms.  Pilgrims and Puritans are often confused with one another, even by our nation's leaders.  According to the Pilgrim Hall Museum, both President George Bush (a descendant of a Mayflower passenger) and Ronald Regan confused the Puritans and Pilgrims by calling John Winthrop a Pilgrim (long pause for a hearty laugh). John Winthrop was the leader of the Puritans who founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, while William Bradford was the leader of the Pilgrims.

John Winthrop, not to be confused with William Bradford.

Theologically speaking, the Puritans who came to America in 1630 and the Pilgrims in 1620 are very similar.  Unsatisfied with the Anglican church and feeling the Reformation didn't go far enough in England, both wanted to 'purify' the Anglican church with Calvinist ideals.  Calvinists, besides having a dour view on humanity, viewed the Bible not the church hierarchy as the ultimate authority.  Anglican bishops and priests were no better than their Catholic counterparts and the Puritans sought to rid the Church of England of the last vestiges of popery.

William Bradford, not to be confused with John Winthrop.

The Pilgrims who settled on Plymouth Rock, however, were more radical than their Puritan counterparts.  While rejecting the more radical teachings of the Separatist minster Robert Browne, the Pilgrims felt the Anglican church couldn't be purified.  Instead, they separated from the church of England and placed control of church matters into the congregation's hands.  The Puritans disapproved of the congregational model for churches, but eventually adopted this practice from the Pilgrims.

Like their Puritan counterparts, however, the Pilgrims enjoyed a good beer, liked sex and didn't celebrate Christmas (we all have our faults).  Oddly enough, the Pilgrims never gained the poor reputation the Puritans have.  Perhaps it was their small numbers, more tolerant attitudes toward the native populace or the inability of the American populace to differentiate between the two groups.

The Pilgrims cause, however, has been undoubtedly helped by the good press they received for starting the Thanksgiving tradition.  After all, what red blooded American doesn't like a good meal?  Who cares if the Pilgrims were a marginal group desiring religious freedom?  They're associated with green bean casseroles. What else matters?  My advice for anyone seeking redemption for a disenfranchised group is to hire a public relations firm and create a gluttonous holiday.  It's what the Pilgrims would do.

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Happy Two Month Anniversary to Me!

"I whole heartily endorse this blog!  It's almost as good as the 'Declaration of Independence.'"

Two months ago I began blogging in earnest, wondering, hoping and praying that people will read my blog.  Now I have "followers," positive comments and a readership across the United States and Europe.  For some reason, I get a lot of hits from Russia.  Maybe they are voracious history buffs, or perhaps winter is setting in and reading blogs is a favorite pastime.  Whatever it is, keep reading.  Below is a list of my favorite posts thus far.

What Do President Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth and Mary, Queen of Scots Have in Common?  

These Ain't Your Mama's Puritans!

A Forgotten Man in a Haunted City

I've dated Charlemagne, St. John, Henry VIII and John Adams. Yes, I Realize They are Dead.

 

When Did the Puritans Get So Cranky?

They were two people in love.  Thrust together by a bloody Civil War, determined to live a quiet life after the fighting had ceased.  She was from the Midwest, he from New England, both looking for the perfect place for a family.  The New Englander, enamored by the beauty of Northeastern Ohio, consented to settling in the Mahoning Valley.  His wife, a fun loving woman of Pennsylvania Dutch descent, ecstatically agreed with her husband.  New England was stuffy, prudish and home to the non congenial Puritans and while her new husband was descended from their stock, she didn't want to suffocate in New England.  According to family lore, this is why my great great grandparents, the Moodys, decided to settle in Ohio after William had served in the Civil War.

Why did my great great grandmother Caroline despise the Puritans so much?  Hadn't she read my previous posts on how rebellious and sexy the Puritans were?  Apparently, rebels weren't her thing, or maybe the views on Puritans had changed by the 1860's in America.  Which makes me ask the question, "did the Puritans become prudish over time or did something about American culture change?" 

According to the book by Bruce Daniels, "Puritans at Play: Leisure and Recreation in Colonial New England" Puritans enjoyed an active social life and many foreigners who came to Boston in the 17th century were impressed by the merriment that surrounded them.  According to Daniels, a Dutch painter described a joyous scene of full taverns, children milling about and colorful houses and gardens.

Daniels, however, suggests that while the foreign traders were having a wonderful time in Boston, other colonists, especially in Virginia and New York, began creating the image of the dour Puritan.  By the 19th century, the poor reputation of the Puritans had been set in stone, by novelists such as Nathaniel Hawthorne.

I believe two things happened in America, creating a perfect storm of a bad reputation for the Puritans.  First, it was the Enlightenment of the 17th and 18th centuries, which placed reason over religion.  While the Puritans valued reason, they were obsessed with sin and salvation.  This didn't blend well with the increasing humanist and scientific culture. 

The second reason, I believe, why the Puritans obtained their dour reputation is that they were prolific writers.  Thinking back to my colonial history classes, most of the primary sources came from New England.  One of the first things the Puritans did was set up schools to teach the children how to read and write.  Since the Bible was the only authority Puritans accepted, everyone must be able to read and interpret it.  The Puritans became well educated and their sermons, religious pamphlets, letters and dairies are still in abundance.  In a sense, the Puritans became the Lindsay Lohans and  Britaney Spears of their day.  They were over exposed and very opinionated.  Thus, other Americans began forming opinions based on these writings.

Unfortunately, as Daniels points out, popular Puritan sermons, books on child rearing (take that Dr. Spock), and the religious propaganda they produced, only reflected a small portion of their society and beliefs.  In modern terms, it would be like judging Catholics only by the statements made by the pope.  While the Puritan reputation is being revised by historians, it may take a few hard ciders and an open mind for many to accept a new view of this complex group.

More Devastating Facts about the Puritans!

Darn those Puritans!  Just when you think you know everything about them, they come back to bite you in the...  I was blog browsing and wondering how other blogs portray Puritans.  Much to my surprise, Tim Challies wrote an interesting article about Puritans and sex.  Take a drink from your hard cider, because the image of Puritans having sex may disturb you.

According to Challies, the Puritans rejected the long standing sexual dualism in Catholicism.  Catholics believe sex is a loving act between a couple, but stress that all sex be open to reproduction.  Throughout the centuries, however, the Catholic church valued celibacy over married life. Stressing Paul's message in            1 Corinthians 7:9, "But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion." Puritans, however, believed that sex was good and should be thoroughly enjoyed between husband and wife.  Just take another sip of hard cider.  I promise it will help!

http://www.challies.com/quotes/the-puritans-and-sex

These Ain't Your Mama's Puritans!

I was reading the book, "A Royal Passion: The Turbulent Marriage of King Charles I of England and Henrietta Maria of France," last night and was reminded of a lesson I taught at a local community college several years ago.  I was fresh out of school and had landed a part-time position, teaching two American history classes.  I was desperately trying to make history fun, while giving my students a different perspective of history and it's actors.

The topic that week wasn't easy.  There was no war, gruesome battles or exciting characters I could use.  "Darn, those Puritans," (I was more liberal in my word choice, but this is a family blog) I thought, "my students are going to fall asleep within the first five minutes, instead of the first ten!"  After all, most people think Puritans were religious extremists, who were judgmental, critical, stuffy and prudish. 

King Charles I of England certainly would not have argued with those statements.  As an Anglican, married to a Catholic, he sought to suppress those who wanted to "purify" the church, otherwise known as Puritans.  The Puritans felt that the Anglican church didn't go far enough during the reformation.  They detested the office of bishop in England, the elaborate masses, the communion of saints and other relics of "popery."

Charles felt the Puritans were dangerous and after several bad parliamentary sessions with the Puritans demanding that Henrietta's Catholic entourage be returned to France, he refused to call another Parliament for a decade.  Feeling that their rights as Englishmen had been violated, many Puritans emigrated to Massachusetts.  However some stayed behind in England, attempting to rid England of the corrupting influence of Archbishop Laud and Henrietta.

After a decade of exuberant spending, Charles needed money to fight the Scottish Presbyterians in the north.  With no money and thinking that the Minister's of Parliament would feel passionate about his crusade against the Scots, he called Parliament.  Making a long story short, the Puritans demanded greater freedom of religion, a regular meeting of parliament, the ability to chose the servants in the King's household and hold trails of those accused of treason.

Charles, not wanting to violate his conscious and unable to make decisions, wouldn't agree to their terms.  The Puritans, incensed, became radicalized and within a couple of years, the English Civil War would begin.  At the end of the war, Charles was a mere prisoner of parliament.  After a long argument on whether Parliament could even try a king for treason, Charles was sentenced to death.  After he was executed, Parliament, at the urgings of Oliver Cromwell, abolished the monarchy.

In the modern era, none of this seems shocking.  Few nations even have kings or queens, Congress meets regularly, we are free to worship as we chose and many kings, queens, czars and dictators have shared the same fate as Charles I.  We must remember, however, that Charles's execution by his own people was unthinkable during his day.  These rebellious Puritans in Parliament changed the way society viewed monarchy and paved the way for democracy.  Now what do you think of the Puritans?  Perhaps you still want to cling to the Nathanial Hawthorne version of the Puritans, but for those who desire a new view; take a drink of some hard cider.  The Puritans believed it was good for your health.