[Mrs. Don-o]

The Puritans had their good points, but they did try to abolish Christmas festivities by law, with varying fines, floggings, and terms of imprisonment for offenders who took the day off, had a fine supper, or frolicked a little. This was both in England and in Massachusetts.

[Red Badger]

They must have been proto-Democrats...............Somebody somewhere is having a good time and we must stop it!..............

[hanamizu]

You are right. The Puritans were called Puritans because they wanted to erase every vestige of Catholicism from the Church of England. Since the Bible makes no mention of the time of year when Christ was born and since they knew the Catholic Church put Christmas where it did on the calendar to appeal to Roman pagans, Puritans thought it had to go.

In America, they believed they had a Covenant with God. If they behaved how He wanted, He would bless their endeavors. If they allowed people to flaunt His will (as of course they saw it) things would go bad for them.

I forget the details, but one guy set up a party town next to the Mass. Bay border. It featured a big tavern and even a Maypole! The Puritans crossed the border, arrested him and put him on an island off of the coast. I believe he had powerful friends back in England and had to be released.