Alabama Was The First State To Declare Christmas A Legal Holiday

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Alabama Was The First State To Declare Christmas A Legal Holiday

First State To Recognize Christmas

In 1836, Alabama became the first state to declare Christmas a legal holiday. Louisiana and Arkansas followed a couple of years later. Christmas wasn’t recognized as a federal holiday until 1870.

First State To Declare Christmas A Holiday

A holiday tradition believed to have started in England is the Christmas Day Hunt. The hunt is a rite of passage between father and son and many families continue it to this day.

 

The pilgrims, English separatists that came to America in 1620, were orthodox in their Puritan beliefs. As a result, Christmas was not a holiday in early America. From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was actually outlawed in Boston. Anyone exhibiting the Christmas spirit was fined five shillings. 

After the American Revolution, English customs fell out of favor, including Christmas. In fact, Congress was in session on December 25, 1789, the first Christmas under America’s new constitution. Christmas wasn’t declared a federal holiday until June 26, 1870.