According to the History Channel special on Christmas, the holiday was seen as such an English tradition that after the American Revolution it fell into some disfavor in the United States. Congress even held sessions on Christmas Day, and it was not until the mid-nineteenth century Christian revival (also responsible for “In God We Trust” on the currency) that it was declared a federal holiday. So much for America A Christian Nation.
Of course, we know that Christmas is really a day created by capitalism: the Victorian age created everything from Santa Claus to the American “spirit of childhood,” and subsequent generations have seen the free market elaborate even further on the concept: Coca-Cola’s Santa Claus, Edison’s Christmas lights, Montgomery Ward’s Rudolph, and so forth. But I had not known that Congress was even in session on that day for many years.
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