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Central to the festivities was the reversal of roles; masters concerned with the debates over the Self-Denying
waited on their slaves and gambling was widespread, as Ordinance for reform of the army.
was an emphasis on food, drink, and fun.
Crucially he was absent from Parliament when the ban
Since the Romans once garrisoned what we now know as was passed in 1647; indeed at that time he was under
the British Isles, they brought this tradition with them and threat of arrest by the House of Commons for
over the centuries, it morphed and produced supporting the army in their protests over pay.

The Lord of Misrule Cromwell may have approved of the laws as he was a
member of the Godly party and a Puritan, and took no
The Christmas season became a really big deal in late
action whilst Lord Protector from 1653 to repeal the
medieval and early Tudor times. Traditions revived by
ban. However, as he never expressed an opinion on it in
Henry VII, got even bigger with his son, Henry VIII. No one
his letters or speeches, we simply do not know for sure
more responsible for the success of the activities than the
what he thought about it." We do know he did not
man with the plan, the Lord of Misrule or Master of Revels.
oppose it.
This official was specifically appointed to manage the
Christmas festivities held at court, in great houses, in the History records that In 1652 Parliament reinforced the
law schools of the Inns of Court, and in many of the Christmas ban, including fines for staging or attending
colleges at the universities of Cambridge and Oxford. Christmas services, and mandated that shops were to
Celebrations also extended to private homes on a more remain open on Christmas day. A pamphlet The
modest scale. Vindicat ion of Christ mas, published that same year,
argued against these laws, and was illustrated with one
Misrule's reign lasted anywhere from 12 days to three
of the earliest depictions of Father Christmas, an early
months, during which time he was responsible for
exanple of criticism of government overreach.
arranging and directing all Christmas entertainment,
including elaborate masques ( Henry VIII and his friends There was an attempt to enforce the ban rigorously in
were found of dressing up as Moors, where people at court some parts of the country during the Christmas of 1655
pretended not to recognize them) and processions, plays, but by 1656 Parliament was complaining that many
and feasts, presiding over many of them with a mock court people were simply ignoring the ban. in London shops
and receiving comic homage from attendees. Common remained shut and festivities continued. An attempt at
tools for the Lord were a Court Jester and a mock gibbet , further legislation got no further than the first reading.
used to 'hang' the people who didn't come up to scratch in Whilst there were reminders about the ban in London in
the fun department. 1657, there was no further attempt to systematically
impose it nationally." In 1658 Oliver Cromwell died of
Scotland, too, had an official similar to the Lord of Misrule,
kidney disease. According to scholars, as with most
known as the Abbot of Unreason (suppressed in 1555).
Commonwealth/Protectorate legislation, the ban on
Historians believe both these personages were descended
Christmas was removed in 1660 with the Restoration .
from the "king" or 'bishop" that presided over the earlier
Feast of Fools. Charles II Brings Things Back t o an earlier
Normal (including Christ mas)
After the death of Edward VI in 1553, the English court no
longer appointed a Lord of Misrule and the holiday spirit Unamused by Cromwell's lopping off the head of his
was subdued. predecessor, in 1661 Charles II, to show the power of
the King, had Cromwell's body exhumed, put him on
Then, Along came t he Reformat ion followed by t he
trial posthumously for treason, convicted him, hung him
Civil War
from the gallows at Tyburn, and had his head removed.
Out with frivolity, in with a new soberness in religion with The head was then put on a spike and hung about on
the arrival of the Godly Party--the Puritans. Although Oliver the roof of Westminster Hall for the next 30 years. Later,
Cromwell gets the "credit" today for the ban on Christmas the embalmed head ended, hidden, by being stuffed
that took place under his government he actually was not up a chimney, but that's a story for another day. More
the primary mover for the bill in Parliament. history, then along come Queen Victoria, Prince Albert,
Charles Dickens, and Christmas has carried on since
According to Stuart Orme, the curator of the Cromwell
then as we know it. Bringing us, today, to the now King
Museum in Huntingdon, " Cromwell had little or no part in
Charles III doing his holiday bit , on page 31 of this issue.
the initial legislation that instituted the ban, being more
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