WEBVTT - Cancel Christmas! 0:00:08.245 --> 0:00:23.285 School of Humans. Oh, the Puritans. I think the last 0:00:23.285 --> 0:00:25.525 time I talked about them was in the first episode 0:00:26.005 --> 0:00:28.725 when we had the New Haven Colony where they're all 0:00:28.765 --> 0:00:32.005 those dudes who were or were not being seduced by 0:00:32.005 --> 0:00:35.925 their hogs. And I just want to say, I want 0:00:35.925 --> 0:00:39.885 to reiterate on the record, bestiality, buggering. I don't think 0:00:39.885 --> 0:00:42.645 it's great. If I was in charge of the colony, 0:00:42.925 --> 0:00:47.245 I probably wouldn't hang someone for doing it, but I 0:00:47.285 --> 0:00:50.725 would be extremely disappointed in them, you know, maybe give 0:00:50.765 --> 0:00:55.565 them a few lashes. I don't know. I also don't 0:00:55.565 --> 0:00:58.485 really want to do violence. Wow, I'm such a good person. 0:01:02.325 --> 0:01:06.125 But the Puritans were back at them today, specific the 0:01:06.165 --> 0:01:09.125 ones who came over in sixteen twenty to form the 0:01:09.165 --> 0:01:14.925 Massachusetts Bay Colony. And something that is ironic about the 0:01:14.965 --> 0:01:19.125 Puritans is that, you know, they were pure, et cetera, 0:01:19.405 --> 0:01:23.725 but they also stank. Yeah, when they came over, several 0:01:23.765 --> 0:01:28.525 Indigenous people were recorded saying how stinky the pilgrims were 0:01:28.925 --> 0:01:34.245 and they had to hold their noses. And it's true 0:01:34.285 --> 0:01:37.485 the Puritans they didn't really bathe. They also hated water, 0:01:38.045 --> 0:01:41.125 and you know what another thing they hated was Christmas 0:01:42.205 --> 0:01:44.805 And in sixteen fifty nine, when they just couldn't bear 0:01:44.845 --> 0:01:48.045 witness to any more happiness. The Puritans were like, oh, 0:01:48.085 --> 0:01:51.365 we hate Christmas because it doesn't make sense with the Bible, 0:01:51.565 --> 0:01:55.925 so you can't celebrate it any of you. No more Christmas. 0:02:00.365 --> 0:02:03.325 And so over twenty two years, from sixteen fifty nine 0:02:03.365 --> 0:02:06.885 to sixteen eighty one, no one and the Massachusetts Bay 0:02:06.885 --> 0:02:11.245 Colony was allowed to celebrate Christmas. If they did, they'd 0:02:11.285 --> 0:02:14.765 be hit with a five shilling fine. Uh, the stakes 0:02:14.805 --> 0:02:19.325 are high. So today's episode, we're talking about stinky people 0:02:19.405 --> 0:02:23.565 who deemed Christmas a filthy holiday. Wow, look at me 0:02:23.925 --> 0:02:26.325 connecting it to the title of the show. Ha ha ha. 0:02:27.125 --> 0:02:34.845 Cue the theme music. This is American Filth. I'm your host, 0:02:34.885 --> 0:02:37.805 Gabby Watts. Each week I tell you a filthy story 0:02:37.845 --> 0:03:17.285 from American history. This week's episode canceled Christmas. Okay, so 0:03:17.325 --> 0:03:19.525 a lot of this episode we're actually not even gonna 0:03:19.525 --> 0:03:22.965 be in America. But you guys calmed down. It eventually connects. Okay, 0:03:23.765 --> 0:03:26.285 So to really get why the Puritans banded Christmas, we 0:03:26.325 --> 0:03:29.805 got to travel back in time to a Christian historian 0:03:29.925 --> 0:03:35.245 named Sextus Julius Africanus, who live sometime between one's sixty 0:03:35.245 --> 0:03:37.965 and two forty AD. It's like, bro, why are you 0:03:38.045 --> 0:03:44.005 being a historian? We haven't even finished the history yet. Anyway, 0:03:44.445 --> 0:03:47.365 Sextus was the first person to connect Jesus' birth with 0:03:47.445 --> 0:03:51.285 December twenty fifth. Here was his logic. He was like, hmm, 0:03:51.485 --> 0:03:54.325 March twenty fifth, that's the date of the spring equinox. 0:03:54.565 --> 0:03:58.045 And yes, that's not the day anymore apparently planets and shit, 0:03:58.085 --> 0:04:00.485 but this isn't a science podcast. I don't know. But 0:04:00.645 --> 0:04:03.005 the spring equinox, that's the longest day of the year, 0:04:03.565 --> 0:04:07.125 and that also marks the first high spring time and 0:04:07.165 --> 0:04:11.005 that's kind of like fertility, the date of creation. That 0:04:11.045 --> 0:04:14.725 could be the date of Jesus's conception. So basically, that's 0:04:14.765 --> 0:04:18.205 the day that Joseph and Mary did not have sex, 0:04:18.845 --> 0:04:21.365 so then the Son of God he would come out 0:04:21.365 --> 0:04:24.205 about nine months later, which would be December twenty fifth. 0:04:26.005 --> 0:04:29.405 Early Christians were influenced by the writing of Sexist because 0:04:29.405 --> 0:04:34.005 I mean, why not, I mean, his name is sexist Africanus. Basically, 0:04:34.045 --> 0:04:35.565 what I'm trying to say is his name sounds like 0:04:35.605 --> 0:04:41.245 sex Anus. Sorry. But also, the Christians were looking for 0:04:41.245 --> 0:04:43.845 a holiday because they wanted to compete with the Roman 0:04:43.885 --> 0:04:48.165 tradition of Saturnalia that was being celebrated all around them, 0:04:49.285 --> 0:04:52.485 and that holiday one week before December twenty fifth, non 0:04:52.565 --> 0:04:55.605 Christian Romans would decorate their homes with pine branches and 0:04:55.685 --> 0:05:00.205 other natural materials, close businesses, schools, and courts, and go 0:05:00.405 --> 0:05:04.485 caroling for money, all in honor of the farming god Saturn. 0:05:04.845 --> 0:05:08.125 They traded in their togas for colorful garments and even 0:05:08.165 --> 0:05:11.685 gave their slaves time off to participate in the festivities. Wow, 0:05:11.725 --> 0:05:15.685 so nice of them. Sometimes slaves would say the head 0:05:15.725 --> 0:05:19.325 of the table while the masters served them for a change, 0:05:19.365 --> 0:05:23.965 and together they would all get wasted. Some sources say 0:05:24.045 --> 0:05:26.805 that the slaves even taught the nobles to stick their 0:05:26.845 --> 0:05:29.605 fingers down their throats and throw up so that they 0:05:29.645 --> 0:05:36.765 could what make room for more booze. This week long 0:05:36.885 --> 0:05:42.045 ritualistic celebration also involved animal sacrifice, which pleased the gods 0:05:42.045 --> 0:05:45.245 and provided meat for the coming winter season, and may 0:05:45.285 --> 0:05:49.765 have even included human sacrifice in the lean years yum 0:05:49.885 --> 0:05:56.445 yum cousin meat. Tradition also called for gift giving. Candles 0:05:56.445 --> 0:06:00.205 were a common gift, signifying the returning light to the earth. 0:06:00.685 --> 0:06:04.165 Other gifts included cage birds, and dolls. Some of these 0:06:04.245 --> 0:06:09.205 dolls were clay figure called signalaria, which was a callback 0:06:09.205 --> 0:06:13.325 to the early tradition that did in fact involve human sacrifice. 0:06:13.845 --> 0:06:16.285 So even though you're not doing human sacrifice, at least 0:06:16.285 --> 0:06:18.285 celebrate that you did at some point good job had 0:06:18.365 --> 0:06:22.085 on the back. In one holiday game, families would hide 0:06:22.125 --> 0:06:25.485 coins and cakes, and whoever found the coin was deemed 0:06:25.485 --> 0:06:29.725 the prince or princess and the lord of misrule. It 0:06:29.725 --> 0:06:34.765 became their responsibility to create mischief during the season, insulting guests, 0:06:34.845 --> 0:06:40.685 wearing outrageous clothing, chasing women, and saturnalia. Cumulated in the 0:06:40.725 --> 0:06:45.485 winter solstice on the Julian calendar December twenty fifth, and 0:06:45.525 --> 0:06:49.085 the early Christians were jealous. They're like, oh my god, 0:06:49.085 --> 0:06:53.205 these guys are having so much fun. So they decided 0:06:53.245 --> 0:06:56.685 to celebrate too. But they would not honor the existence 0:06:56.685 --> 0:06:59.965 of multiple gods. Oh no, that would be scandalous. No, 0:07:00.085 --> 0:07:02.205 they would revel in the joy brought about by the 0:07:02.245 --> 0:07:10.085 birth of Jesus. The first known Nativity celebration was held 0:07:10.085 --> 0:07:12.405 at the Church of Rome in three point thirty six 0:07:12.525 --> 0:07:16.885 a d. Nine years later, Pope Julius I named December 0:07:16.925 --> 0:07:20.685 twenty fifth as the official birth date, which coincided nicely 0:07:20.725 --> 0:07:23.325 with the longest darkest night of the year and the 0:07:23.365 --> 0:07:28.125 final day of Saturnalia. Other early members of the Church claimed, 0:07:28.205 --> 0:07:31.725 of course, Christ chose to be born that day because 0:07:31.725 --> 0:07:36.245 of the symbolism of light increasing after that you're in 0:07:36.285 --> 0:07:40.205 the darkest day and he brings the light. Deb As 0:07:40.285 --> 0:07:44.165 Christianity developed, they decided they would allow the solstice rituals 0:07:44.205 --> 0:07:47.765 to continue so long as they too were in celebration 0:07:47.925 --> 0:07:52.845 of the birth of good Old Jesus Christ. So for 0:07:52.925 --> 0:07:55.885 over a thousand years after that, Christmas was celebrated with 0:07:55.965 --> 0:08:00.165 the Nativity and just happened to include some leftover pagan rituals. 0:08:02.125 --> 0:08:05.445 During this thousand years, the Catholic Church increased their zeen 0:08:05.685 --> 0:08:08.925 for imposing their will upon everyone in Western Europe, with 0:08:09.005 --> 0:08:12.165 religious law and courts and local priests participating in what 0:08:12.325 --> 0:08:17.805 was essentially a bureaucracy of religious officials enforcing Catholic domination, 0:08:18.805 --> 0:08:24.245 the ideals of which reinforce social inequality. Basically, they'd be like, yeah, 0:08:24.285 --> 0:08:29.445 the monarchs, the noblemen, they're closer to God than everyone else, duh. 0:08:29.485 --> 0:08:31.285 And if they're close to God, that means they know 0:08:31.325 --> 0:08:34.005 how everything works and there's no room for thinking outside 0:08:34.045 --> 0:08:36.845 of the box. They're basically like, yeah, the earth is 0:08:36.885 --> 0:08:40.805 flat and everything happens because God willed it, and anyone 0:08:40.805 --> 0:08:43.005 who doesn't agree can shut up and go to help, 0:08:44.565 --> 0:08:48.325 and you know, blah blah blah. Crusades murdered death, la 0:08:48.405 --> 0:08:51.565 la la la la. But eventually people were like, I 0:08:51.645 --> 0:08:53.805 kind of don't like you guys telling us what we 0:08:53.925 --> 0:08:57.365 have to do. And by the sixteenth century, European Christianity 0:08:57.405 --> 0:08:59.805 had split in two, and then eventually there was like 0:08:59.885 --> 0:09:05.845 a gazillion competing subgroups of Christianity. That's when Martin Luther 0:09:05.925 --> 0:09:08.605 showed up. He was basically among the first people to 0:09:08.685 --> 0:09:11.325 outwardly be like, hold up, this doesn't make any sense. 0:09:11.805 --> 0:09:15.325 You clergymen are mean and violent, and you expect us 0:09:15.325 --> 0:09:18.925 to believe that God talks to you. I can read, 0:09:19.525 --> 0:09:22.045 and you're not telling the truth about what the Bible says. 0:09:22.645 --> 0:09:25.125 That's the thing. A lot of people didn't read, so 0:09:25.125 --> 0:09:29.125 they would just simply follow the church's orders blindly. But 0:09:29.205 --> 0:09:33.005 Luther was like, you guys are just like people, sinners, 0:09:33.125 --> 0:09:38.645 just like the rest of us. This questioning of the 0:09:38.685 --> 0:09:42.005 system grew into a full on rejection of the papal system, 0:09:43.005 --> 0:09:49.325 and that's the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther 0:09:49.485 --> 0:09:52.125 was like, yo, if we learned to read, we can 0:09:52.165 --> 0:09:55.045 interpret the Bible for ourselves, then we won't have to 0:09:55.085 --> 0:09:58.645 listen to these assholes anymore. And yes, this is a 0:09:58.685 --> 0:10:01.485 great oversimplification of what happened, but you know what, we 0:10:01.525 --> 0:10:04.525 got to get back to America at some point. We're 0:10:04.525 --> 0:10:07.965 not there yet, but we're get in there. Eventually, the 0:10:08.005 --> 0:10:11.645 Protestants in the UK formed the Church of England, a 0:10:11.765 --> 0:10:15.765 church with Protestant ideals, but one that was also deeply corrupt, 0:10:18.285 --> 0:10:20.605 and even that was still a bit too Catholic. Ye 0:10:20.685 --> 0:10:25.565 for some Protestant folks who eventually became the Puritans. And 0:10:25.605 --> 0:10:29.165 the Puritans, to simplify their belief system is they were 0:10:29.165 --> 0:10:32.525 obsessed with being pure and they were opposed to anything 0:10:32.565 --> 0:10:35.925 that was fun. They didn't want to do anything that 0:10:36.045 --> 0:10:39.245 wasn't literally prescribed by the Bible. They believed that everything 0:10:39.325 --> 0:10:42.725 happened because of divine providence, and the more they suffered, 0:10:42.765 --> 0:10:46.845 the more rewarded they would be in the afterlife, which 0:10:46.845 --> 0:10:48.445 is why a lot of them pieced out to the 0:10:48.485 --> 0:10:50.965 New World to do their own thing. Because even the 0:10:51.005 --> 0:10:53.205 Church of England was like, y'all need to chill out, 0:10:53.285 --> 0:10:55.965 you need to relax, drink a little, which is really 0:10:56.005 --> 0:10:58.525 saying a lot. And the king at the time was 0:10:58.605 --> 0:11:01.965 Charles I, who was trying to dissolve parliament and have 0:11:02.165 --> 0:11:05.725 ultimate power. He was like, I believe in the divine 0:11:05.725 --> 0:11:08.525 of kings. I will not listen to Parliament, so they 0:11:08.565 --> 0:11:12.405 should go away. But a high ranking military official and 0:11:12.445 --> 0:11:16.725 politician named Oliver Cromwell showed up and challenged him, causing 0:11:16.725 --> 0:11:20.405 a war. Cromwell was a Protestant and a rebel. He 0:11:20.485 --> 0:11:23.885 studied at a Peerdan school in Cambridge. It was dedicated 0:11:23.925 --> 0:11:27.285 to his version of a purified life. He led his 0:11:27.285 --> 0:11:30.645 fellow Protestants in a fight for a more balanced government 0:11:30.805 --> 0:11:34.725 in one and as his first order of business, he 0:11:34.805 --> 0:11:39.325 beheaded King Charles for treason. But then two separate versions 0:11:39.365 --> 0:11:43.685 of Parliament arose in succession and Cromwell tried to lead them, 0:11:43.725 --> 0:11:46.205 but it didn't really work. Plus there was a ton 0:11:46.205 --> 0:11:49.725 of conflict over Ireland and Scotland, so he was like, 0:11:50.125 --> 0:11:53.005 I will create a protectorate and I am now the 0:11:53.125 --> 0:11:58.005 Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, basically a king. 0:11:58.445 --> 0:12:02.045 But whatever Cromwell I suppose he was sowing some seeds 0:12:02.085 --> 0:12:05.205 to early democracy, at least trying to challenge the abuse 0:12:05.245 --> 0:12:08.645 of And that's where the Puritans come back in the 0:12:08.685 --> 0:12:12.045 ones in Massachusetts Bay. I told you we were going 0:12:12.085 --> 0:12:14.045 to get back to the point of the whole podcast. 0:12:15.885 --> 0:12:19.565 The Puritans in Massachusetts Bay were taking their cues from Cromwell, 0:12:19.645 --> 0:12:22.605 since he, like them, was a Puritan and he had 0:12:22.645 --> 0:12:26.925 fought for them against the monarchy as Lord Protector. Cromwell 0:12:26.965 --> 0:12:30.005 had imposed his own ban on Christmas starting in sixteen 0:12:30.125 --> 0:12:34.565 forty four, and the Puritans in Massachusetts Bay wanted to 0:12:34.605 --> 0:12:37.405 follow suit, but they were busy trying to stay alive 0:12:37.445 --> 0:12:41.525 in the New World. As they established themselves, though, they 0:12:41.525 --> 0:12:44.325 wanted to do things their own way, and in the 0:12:44.365 --> 0:12:47.805 words of the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, John Whitthrop, 0:12:48.085 --> 0:12:50.965 they wanted to be a city on a hill, a 0:12:51.005 --> 0:12:54.885 model of proper society and lifestyle for all other nations 0:12:54.885 --> 0:12:58.365 and people. And they could only do that by putting 0:12:58.405 --> 0:13:00.925 the needs of the community first over the needs of 0:13:00.965 --> 0:13:05.325 the individual. And all those principles came from the Good Book, 0:13:06.485 --> 0:13:08.125 and I'm being honest, it's not really that good of 0:13:08.165 --> 0:13:10.645 a book. Like I definitely, it could use some edits. 0:13:11.205 --> 0:13:15.565 It's too long, it drags anyway. So basically the only 0:13:15.605 --> 0:13:19.165 people who could vote or hold office in Massachusetts Bay 0:13:19.645 --> 0:13:22.645 were church members, and so the power stayed in the 0:13:22.685 --> 0:13:26.885 hands of the Puritan church elite. These clergymen claim that 0:13:26.925 --> 0:13:29.925 there wasn't even evidence of an actual day to mark 0:13:29.965 --> 0:13:33.205 the birth of Jesus. It was not in the Bible, 0:13:33.605 --> 0:13:37.285 and therefore on December twenty fifth there was no reason 0:13:37.365 --> 0:13:42.125 to celebrate. They argued instead that December twenty fifth, and 0:13:42.165 --> 0:13:44.965 the words of Oliver Cromwell, should be a day of 0:13:45.165 --> 0:13:49.525 fasting and humiliation, where men should turn inward, reflect on 0:13:49.725 --> 0:13:52.805 and feel the shame of their sins. Just be like, 0:13:52.885 --> 0:13:58.365 ooh father, I'm so bad, I'm saw wee. And the 0:13:58.405 --> 0:14:01.805 Pagan or early Roman roots of the widely practiced Christmas 0:14:01.925 --> 0:14:05.125 rituals did not help its case. It was associated with 0:14:05.245 --> 0:14:08.285 sein after all, you know, it's not family friendly. It 0:14:08.445 --> 0:14:13.765 encouraged drinking all day long, also overeating. Gluttony ugh so bad. 0:14:15.005 --> 0:14:18.805 Usually on Christmas, raucus parties would leave people blackout, drunk 0:14:18.845 --> 0:14:22.085 and stumbling home in the dark. It was a time 0:14:22.125 --> 0:14:25.165 for vagabonds. Just these groups of men that would wander 0:14:25.245 --> 0:14:28.725 the streets and knock on doors, demanding handouts of money 0:14:28.805 --> 0:14:33.165 and food like figgy pudding. Do you guys know that 0:14:33.245 --> 0:14:35.605 song about figgie pudding? I always thought it was really 0:14:35.605 --> 0:14:39.645 weird because it basically goes, so bring us some figgy pudding. Yes, 0:14:39.765 --> 0:14:42.445 bring some right here. We won't go until we get some. 0:14:42.605 --> 0:14:45.325 We won't go until we get some. We won't go 0:14:45.405 --> 0:14:47.885 until we get some, So bring some right here. But 0:14:47.965 --> 0:14:51.645 that was like that song. That's not exaggeration. These vagabonds, 0:14:51.685 --> 0:14:54.845 these dudes, they would wait at doors demanding food and 0:14:54.885 --> 0:14:57.925 burst in rating rich people's houses if they were turned away. 0:14:58.845 --> 0:15:06.445 Figgie pudding? Is that good? Another tradition of the Christmas 0:15:06.445 --> 0:15:10.925 season that the Puritans found especially scandalous was called mummy. 0:15:11.125 --> 0:15:13.725 Men would dress like women and vice versa, and visit 0:15:13.765 --> 0:15:18.205 neighbors houses. Honestly, back in this time before the band, 0:15:18.325 --> 0:15:22.485 Christmas sounded even more fun. A Bishop Hugh Lattimore wrote 0:15:22.485 --> 0:15:25.965 about Christmas men dishonor Christ's more in the twelve days 0:15:25.965 --> 0:15:29.805 of Christmas than in all twelve months. Besides, so in 0:15:29.845 --> 0:15:33.325 the Massachusetts Bay Colony they banned the holiday altogether in 0:15:33.405 --> 0:15:46.405 sixteen fifty nine. We'll be right back after these doothing advertisements. 0:15:48.725 --> 0:15:52.405 So the Massachusetts Bay Colony has banned Christmas. But the 0:15:52.485 --> 0:15:56.285 thing is around the same time. Just the year before 0:15:56.645 --> 0:16:00.045 Cromwell died, his son took over as Lord Protector and 0:16:00.205 --> 0:16:03.445 was like this is hard and resigned. And guess who 0:16:03.445 --> 0:16:07.325 became the new leader, Charles the Second the air to 0:16:07.405 --> 0:16:12.765 Charles the First, who had just been executed. Parliament resumed. 0:16:13.285 --> 0:16:16.965 We're back to kings and queens. Also, Christmas is back, 0:16:18.685 --> 0:16:21.645 so that's right. The Christmas ban in England was overturned 0:16:22.165 --> 0:16:26.565 just as the Massachusetts Puritans were imposing theirs. They kind 0:16:26.605 --> 0:16:28.525 of got on the train too late, but they dug 0:16:28.565 --> 0:16:31.445 their heels in. They're like, this is how devoted we 0:16:31.485 --> 0:16:35.445 are to taking the Bible seriously. See God, we're suffering 0:16:35.525 --> 0:16:41.045 for you. Ooh, hurt me. Dandy signs were posted all 0:16:41.085 --> 0:16:45.525 over the colony that read all caps, public notice, the 0:16:45.645 --> 0:16:49.725 observation of Christmas having been deemed a sacrilege. The exchange 0:16:49.725 --> 0:16:53.045 of gifts and greetings, dressing and fine clothing, feasting, and 0:16:53.165 --> 0:17:00.005 similar satanical practices are hereby forbidden. That's right, guys. When 0:17:00.045 --> 0:17:06.245 you wear fine clothing, you're supporting Satan. And the thing 0:17:06.325 --> 0:17:09.165 is despite the ban being lifted by Mother England, the 0:17:09.245 --> 0:17:13.165 Puritans kept it in place for twenty two years. And 0:17:13.245 --> 0:17:15.605 I guess the nice ironic thing is that a lot 0:17:15.605 --> 0:17:19.005 of the Peertons came to America to escape religious persecution, 0:17:19.765 --> 0:17:21.725 but then when they got to America, they just did 0:17:21.725 --> 0:17:25.925 it to everyone else. Can you believe it? A bit hypocritical? 0:17:26.525 --> 0:17:28.525 Some would say that is the foundation of the United 0:17:28.525 --> 0:17:33.125 States of America, some would say not me. I have 0:17:33.125 --> 0:17:37.565 no opinions about anything, as you can tell in this episode. 0:17:39.205 --> 0:17:40.685 But the thing is, even though they had that band 0:17:40.725 --> 0:17:44.045 for twenty two years, there wasn't a ton that, you know, 0:17:44.085 --> 0:17:46.845 the Peerton leaders could do to prevent people from dressing 0:17:46.885 --> 0:17:50.125 up and dining together. So a lot of people just 0:17:50.165 --> 0:17:54.925 celebrated anyway, but behind closed doors. And sometimes people would 0:17:54.925 --> 0:17:57.445 still get a little bit too drunk on December twenty fifth, 0:17:57.805 --> 0:17:59.805 and they would have to pay that whopping fine of 0:17:59.885 --> 0:18:04.725 five shillings. But then eventually, because again this was still 0:18:04.725 --> 0:18:07.365 an English call, the Puritans who were in charge of 0:18:07.365 --> 0:18:11.085 Massachusetts Bay, got a lot of pressure from the British 0:18:11.165 --> 0:18:14.765 government to lift the ban, so they did in sixteen 0:18:14.805 --> 0:18:20.565 eighty one. And then once we get into the seventeen hundreds. 0:18:20.645 --> 0:18:24.565 Before the Revolutionary War, it seemed that most of colonial 0:18:24.605 --> 0:18:28.725 society accepted Christmas as a sacred holiday. And then once 0:18:28.805 --> 0:18:32.685 the US won independence, there's a lot of bantering about 0:18:32.685 --> 0:18:35.885 how to deal with all the Christmas stuff. But don't forget, 0:18:36.685 --> 0:18:40.485 there was this thing called capitalism, and shop owners saw 0:18:40.525 --> 0:18:44.125 the opportunities that the holiday brought. So they're like, we 0:18:44.165 --> 0:18:48.445 should celebrate this holiday and sell some shit. And now 0:18:48.485 --> 0:18:52.085 here we are today when you got to spend a 0:18:52.125 --> 0:18:55.405 lot of money on gifts for people and then they 0:18:55.405 --> 0:18:58.605 don't even really like the gift that much, but they pretend. 0:18:58.685 --> 0:19:00.645 But you still have to spend a lot of money 0:19:00.685 --> 0:19:03.085 to give them stuff they don't even want because we 0:19:03.125 --> 0:19:06.965 don't even need all that stuff. Maybe that's just me. 0:19:07.725 --> 0:19:12.165 Is this relatable? I'm trying to be relatable. So for 0:19:12.205 --> 0:19:14.845 all of y'all who are going to be celebrating Christmas 0:19:14.845 --> 0:19:19.085 this year, just remember what the Puritans thought, that celebrating 0:19:19.205 --> 0:19:24.925 Christmas means you're doing the will of say ten And 0:19:25.045 --> 0:19:28.005 I think obviously we learn a lot from every American 0:19:28.045 --> 0:19:31.205 filth episode, and I think what we really learn is 0:19:31.245 --> 0:19:34.685 that religion is for sure one real and not a 0:19:34.725 --> 0:19:38.005 tool used by people in power to control you. So 0:19:39.525 --> 0:19:44.605 Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, etc. Etc. We aren't going to 0:19:44.685 --> 0:19:46.365 have an episode next week because I'm going to take 0:19:46.365 --> 0:19:49.685 a break, but we'll be back in the new year. Xoxo, 0:19:50.085 --> 0:19:57.205 Gabby bye. American Filth is a production of School of 0:19:57.285 --> 0:20:00.365 Humans and iHeart Podcast. I'm your host, Gabby Watts. This 0:20:00.485 --> 0:20:04.005 episode was written by Julia Christgau. It was sound designed 0:20:04.005 --> 0:20:07.085 by Jesse Niswanger. He also helped me make the theme 0:20:07.205 --> 0:20:11.205 song Wow. Our senior producers Amelia Brock, and our executive 0:20:11.245 --> 0:20:16.125 producers are Virginia Prescott, Elsie Crowley, and Brandon Barr. Please like, subscribe, 0:20:16.125 --> 0:20:20.405 review to the show wherever you listen. Also follow along 0:20:21.085 --> 0:20:41.285 on Instagram at American Filth Pod buye School of Humans.