Quillette Podcast Did Oliver Cromwell Really Kill Christmas?
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Dec 24, 2024 
David Crowther, creator of the History of England podcast, digs into the Puritan disdain for Christmas celebrations and Oliver Cromwell's role in that narrative. He discusses how Christmas transformed into a grand festival in England, highlighting unique cultural practices. The conversation also touches on the blend of pagan traditions and societal norms, regional English dishes, and the misconstrued images of Roundheads and Cavaliers during the Civil War. Crowther's insights reveal the complexities of leadership and cultural shifts in historical contexts.
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Christmas in 1600
- Christmas was a major holiday in England by 1600, eclipsing earlier holidays like Easter.
- It involved a "Lord of Misrule" who upended social hierarchies, feasts, and games like the bean feast.
Christmas as Social Safety Valve
- Christmas festivities, like pagan holidays, served as a social safety valve, allowing for temporary inversion of hierarchies.
- This inversion is why Puritans disliked Christmas, viewing its traditions as pagan and disruptive.
Language and Food
- Jonathan Kay enjoys David Crowther's use of colloquialisms like "Hooli."
- They discuss lardy cake, a sweet bun with spices and lard, and historical English cuisine, including eels and lampreys.