The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
CHRISTMAS OVER AGES
Nadia Vidinova talks about times gone by in Scottish history where Christmas has been “cancelled” and looks at festive food choices and traditions in other countries around the world
Coronavirus restrictions meant that last Christmas was a low-key affair for most people, and with cases rising this year, celebrations may yet again be rather subdued. But this isn’t the first time Christmas has been “cancelled” in Scotland. Centuries before anyone had even heard the words “Covid”, “pandemic” or “vaccine”, gatherings to celebrate the birth of Christ were frowned upon for a very different reason – religion, ironically.
After the Reformation, the reformed Church of Scotland abandoned Catholic beliefs and festivals considered superstitious, such as Yule.
They favoured simpler forms of worship and a more austere way of life.
In 1575 the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland officially abolished all “holy” days except the Sabbath, including Yule Day.
Christmas celebrations would be frowned upon for 400 years, meaning that generations of families missed out on the festivities we now take for granted.
That’s not to say people didn’t flout the rules – much like they do today. Despite the Church’s dim view of Christmas frivolities, the archives of National Records of Scotland (NRS) show how, in December 1574, 14 women in Aberdeen were admonished for “playing, dancing & singing of filthy carols on Yule Day”.
“It is rather well known that Christmas Day took much longer to gain the status it enjoys today in Scotland than it did south of the border,” explains Kenneth Baxter, archives assistant at Dundee University.
“That is in no small part down to the fact that the Church of Scotland and the various other Presbyterian churches which had branched out from it traditionally did not favour Christmas celebrations.
“It was not until the 1950s that Christmas Day became a public holiday in Scotland, and many newspapers were still printed and sold on Christmas Day as late as the 1970s.
“That said there had been quite a bit of movement before then, especially in the later years of the 19th Century.”
The Evening Telegraph on December 25 1885, stated that ‘Year by year the observance of Christmas is becoming more widespread’ in Dundee and noted that that day business in the city was ‘practically suspended’.
“Two years later in 1887 the banks and the Dundee Stock Exchange were among those to close in Dundee to mark Christmas Day,” adds Kenneth.
“And on Boxing Day 1889, The Dundee Advertiser noted that Christmas was gradually becoming observed in Dundee.
Business in the city was “to a considerable extent suspended” on Christmas Day that year.
“In 1886 it was noted by The Courier that while the Roman Catholic and Episcopal Churches had their normal Christmas Day services in the morning, ‘one or two of the Established Churches’ (Church of Scotland) also held Christmas services. In fact St Mary’s, often referred to at this point as the East Church, had been having services on Christmas Day since at least the 1870s.”
The historically difficult relationship with Christmas isn’t limited to Scotland either. During the Cold War years (1947-89), Eastern bloc governments imposed state atheism, effectively banning Christmas.
Some low key celebrations were allowed, but religious symbols were banned and Father Christmas was renamed “Father Frost”.
And in 2015, the governments of Somalia, Tajikistan and Brunei made celebrating Christmas punishable by up to five years in jail, as the festivities have “nothing to do with Islam”.
Nevertheless, Christmas is still observed in 160 countries around the world, including some which don’t have Christianity as their official religion.
Each country has developed its own traditions based on wider culture, history and the lifestyle peculiarities of the region.
“No two countries celebrate Christmas the same way,” explains Federico Espinosa, Director of Learning Design at online language and culture platform Busuu.
“Some have their own unique traditions and some don’t really celebrate Christmas