Xmas Had Slow Start Here Due to Puritans, Old School

Christmas is no holiday at Harvard. Clifford K. Shipton '26 custodian of the University Archives pointed out yesterday that the University has never acknowledged the existence of a Yule recess. When students depart on Saturday, they will be celebrating their "mid-winter vacation"; presumably they will have nothing to do with trees, Santa Claus, or mistletoe.

This seeming indifference on the part of University officials stems from two sources: the old Puritan attitude towards Christmas, and most important, the schedule of the old school calendar. Formerly the College year started in July, in most cases directly after graduation from prep school. Classes ran through the summer, and the long vacation came in the winter, starting in December, and continuing until the end of January or the beginning of February. This break was known as the mid-winter vacation, and it still is.

Puritans Shun Christmas

Even if the University had, in past times, scheduled the recess for Christmas, it probably would not have been called the Christmas vacation. The Puritans would have taken care of that.

From 1636 until about 100 years ago, the University was a stronghold of Puritanism. The Puritans entertained a rather austere view toward most subjects, particularly towards Christmas.

They disliked the holiday because in England it had meant a traditional two week binge. On one of the boats crossing the Atlantic, passengers celebrated Christmas with a fortnight-long drunk, which caused twelve deaths. After that, the Puritan opinion of the Yuletide was markedly unfavorable. Things reached the point where Samuel Sewell in 1670 rode through Boston streets admonishing store keepers who closed shop on December 25.

In 1825 Charles Follen, professor of German, set up Harvard's first Christmas tree. Follen, a recent immigrant, put the tree up for his young son. Since the long vacation was in effect until 1850, however, a trend towards trees at Harvard was considerably delayed.

At present, Christmas here is confined to the concerts, carol singing, Christmas plays at the Houses, a number of trees in the House courtyards and the annual reading of "A Visit from Saint Nicholas" at the Union. The last was inaugurated in the early 1900's by Charles T. Copeland '82, Boylston Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory, emeritus.