When Christmas Was Cause for Moral Panic
In centuries past, Christmas wasn’t just a time of joy and celebration but also a source of widespread fear and loathing due to the rampant disorder and crime it brought. In the 1600s, the Massachusetts Bay Colony even outlawed Christmas festivities due to the drunken riots and chaos they engendered. Particularly in the 19th century, cities like New York and Philadelphia saw Christmas as a time for dangerous mob actions, with working-class youth engaging in drunken revelry and criminal behavior. Known as callithumpians, these groups roamed the streets, banging on pots and demanding free drinks while causing mayhem. Their antics, including vandalism and violence, sparked moral panic among respectable citizens, leading to calls for stricter law enforcement.
Newspapers condemned the “black sheep” responsible for making the streets “hideous” with their callithumpian doings. In 1844, a New York Ledger editorial lamented the city’s “riotous spirit” and the frequent disorders that threatened civil governance. This pressure eventually led to the establishment of modern police forces capable of effectively controlling crowds. To curb the crime, authorities implemented measures to keep Christmas celebrants out of business districts and wealthy residential areas, confining the chaos to working-class neighborhoods. Over time, there was a cultural shift that redirected the wild partying from Christmas to the secular celebrations of New Year’s. This transition marked the end of Christmas as a time of widespread disorder and signaled a new era of controlled festivities.