This Day in History: 1789-12-25

During the first Christmas under America’s new Constitution, the Congress was in session. This fact may seem odd today, but at the time Christmas was no t a major Christian holiday. As a matter of fact, Christmas had a bad reputation among many Christians as a time of un-Christian excess and partying. Between 1659 and 1681, celebrating Christmas was actually illegal in Boston and anti-Christmas sentiment in the North prevented the day from becoming a national holiday until 1870.