Christmas was banned in Scotland for nearly 400 years, from 1640 until the mid-20th century, due to the strict Protestant Reformation. The Church of Scotland (the Kirk) viewed Christmas as a "papist" (Catholic) tradition lacking biblical justification, associating its celebrations with superstitious, extravagant, and rowdy behavior.
Before the Reformation in 1560, Christmas in Scotland had been a religious feasting day. Then, with the powerful Kirk frowning upon anything related to Roman Catholicism, the Scottish Parliament passed a law in 1640 that made celebrating 'Yule vacations' illegal.
Some Puritans objected to the celebrations as there was no mention of such things in the Bible, and therefore couldn't be justified as they were not rooted in scripture. Many also felt that the Christmas festivities had simply become too drunken and debauched. Presbyterians in Scotland had outlawed Christmas in 1640.
In 1647 Parliament passed an Ordinance which resulted in the complete abolition of Christmas celebrations. That the said Feast of the Nativity of Christ, Easter and Whitsuntide and all other Festival days, commonly called Holy-dayes, be no longer observed … within this Kingdom of England …
The most popular theory links it to the Old French word “hoginane”, meaning "gala day" or a gift given on New Year's Eve, likely arriving in Scotland via Mary Queen of Scots on her return from France in 1561.
They saw Christmas as a wasteful festival that threatened Christian beliefs and encouraged immoral activities, to (in Stubbs' words) the 'great dishonour of God'. The discontent felt within the Puritan community towards festivals led to the enactment of forceful legislation even before Cromwell's protectorate.
As the Home office have officially banned the word Christmas from being used to celebrate a Christmas office party . In its replacement it is now called a festive celebration / The winterfest or in the family home know as a family gathering of festivities.
Several religions do not celebrate Christmas, including Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jehovah's Witnesses, and certain branches of Christianity such as the Quakers and the Church of Christ.
When was the last time Scotland had a white Christmas?
Scotland had an "official" white Christmas in 2022, with snow falling at stations like Edinburgh's Gogarbank, but the last widespread, classic "card" white Christmas with significant lying snow across much of the UK (including Scotland) was in 2010, though 2017 and 2020 also saw reports of some snowfall in Scotland.
In Scotland, Christmas is traditionally called Yule, derived from Old Norse for winter feasts, and remains a common term for the festive season, though modern Scots also use "Christmas," with "A Blithe Yule" meaning Happy Christmas and "The Daft Days" referring to the festive period. While banned for centuries after the Reformation, modern Scotland now celebrates Christmas similarly to the rest of the UK, but with unique traditions like "first-footing" and "Sowans Nicht".
In June 1647 the Long Parliament reiterated this by passing an Ordinance confirming the abolition of the feasts of Christmas, Easter and Whitsun, though at the same time parliament said that the second Tuesday in each month was to be kept as a non-religious, secular holiday, providing a break for servants, apprentices ...
YouGov's Big Survey on Christmas finds that 89% of Britons say they celebrate the occasion. Older men prove slightly less likely to say that they celebrate Christmas than other groups.
Christmas is not an official holiday in Saudi Arabia. Until around the early 2010s, Christmas was banned in Saudi Arabia as it was and still is considered haram by Islamic authorities. A display of decorations can be found in certain indoor markets and malls.
"Yule vacations" were outlawed in 1640 due to Reformation influences and it was only recognised as a public holiday in 1958. It meant Hogmanay on 31 December with its feasting, music, dancing and traditions such as first-footing was the country's main winter celebration.
Though Japan does not view Christmas as a religious holiday, it is still celebrated as a way to reunite families. So, if you want to explore Japan this coming Christmas, why not sort your travel early by booking your JR Pass!
These countries don't celebrate Christmas: Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bhutan, Cambodia, China (excepting Hong Kong and Macao), Comoros, Iran, Israel, Kuwait, Laos, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Mongolia, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Qatar, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, ...
During the early Soviet period, all religious celebrations were discouraged under the official state policy of atheism. The Bolsheviks argued that Christmas was a pagan sun-worshipping ritual with no basis in scientific fact and denounced the Christmas tree as a bourgeois German import.
In China, about 6% of people are Christians, so most people only know a few things about Christmas. Because of this, Christmas is only often celebrated in major cities. In these big cities there are Christmas Trees, lights and other decorations on the streets and in department stores.
