ILLEGAL CHRISTMAS
Because so many of its customs were pre-Christian, Christmas was forbidden in Scotland in 1583, abolished in 1647 by the Puritans, and made a penal offense in 1659. Even mince meat pies were illegal in early New England. The very first Christmas pies, baked in the time of Henry VIII, were oblong instead of round, because they were supposed to represent the manger. The filling symbolized the many gifts of the Magi to the Christ child. When images of the baby Jesus began to decorate the tops of the pies, they were outlawed. Christmas did not become legal in the United States until the nineteenth century. Taken from the United Methodist Reporter, December 20, 1985, pg 5
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