It was an ordinary day. June 28, 1870 and President Ulysses S. Grant had just signed into law that Christmas, New Year's Day and Thanksgiving Day would be Federal holidays in the United States, thus giving all federal workers the day off. Actually, Thanksgiving Day's date had not been determined at the time, but it would be a day off when they eventually did pick a date. As I began to read the story about Grant's signing, I also came across another fact that in my lifetime I never knew; Christmas is not celebrated in 9 countries; but a bit more about that later. In the article I had recently read it said that on December 25, 1789 the U.S. Congress met in session and our nation was without a president, since the country's first national election had just begun earlier in the month and would not conclude until January. For most Americans December 25 was just a normal working day, but for some it was celebrated as Christmas. It wasn't until close to 150 years later that Grant would sign legislation making Christmas a federal holiday. At the time Christmas had been celebrated in some states, but not in others. Alabama had declared Christmas a legal holiday in 1836 while Louisiana and Arkansas did the same in 1838. Not so in Northern states. Could have been because the Pilgrims didn't celebrate Christmas, claiming it to be a decadent man-made invention. So too did the Anabaptists, Quakers and Puritans who all thought that celebrating Christmas was sinful. Also, could have been that these religious groups had an opposition to the Anglican Church which they felt was "popish" since they celebrated Christmas as part of the Catholic liturgical year. But, by the mid-19th century more and more immigrants brought their customs with them of which Christmas, and even Santa Claus, was part of them. During the Civil War, Christmas was a day of peace for both sides. Then along came Grant who saved the Union and was elected President in 1868. As a Methodist he saw a way to reunite the North and South by making Christmas a legal holiday. But, did it violate the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution? A local Franklin & Marshall College assistant professor said that Christmas was made a legal holiday at the same time as other secular holidays which was important. Being that Christmas was the only religious holiday along with several secular days made it less problematic. Today courts use the same thinking when determining if legislation or government actions violate the Establishment Law. At the time, it was said that Grant wasn't trying to pass along his religion when he named multiple holidays at the same time. But, today some might sue to try and remove Christmas as a national federal holiday. Will that ever happen. Not as long as retailers make big money! As far as other countries that do not celebrate Christmas, I have found nine that keep the day as another ordinary day. Turkey does celebrate with turkey meals, get-togethers and even Christmas trees, but that is part of celebrating New Year's Eve on the final day of the year. In Thailand, Christmas is simply a non-event, since Christians makes up less than 1% of the population. Most in the country are Buddhist or Muslim. Japan does celebrate Christmas Eve, but as a day to celebrate love, much like Valentine's Day. Russia does celebrate Christmas, but not on the 25th of December. It is celebrated on January 7th, the alleged birthday of Jesus. Christmas was banned in Russia in 1917, but brought back in 1992. It is celebrated in January due to the fact that the Russian Orthodox Church used the old "Julian" calendar rather than the "Gregorian" calendar. Less than 2% of the population of Laos is Christian, thus Christmas is not a big event in the country. For those that are Christians, it is a treasured day. Morocco is predominately Muslim, but due to a slight French influence, some small Christmas touches can be found in the major cities. Mongolia is an official Buddhist Nation and December 25th passes as any other day. The United Arab Emirates is populated by over 80% Muslims, but there are certain areas where they do celebrate Christmas festivities. The final country is The Maldives which is almost entirely Muslim. The beautiful island is in the middle of the Indian Ocean and is connected with the Islamic religion. It is said that Christmas in The Maldives is simply not in the cards. Instead, the people of The Maldives see Ramadan as their most important holiday. Well, to each their own! For those that do celebrate Christmas, hope your day will be filled with joy and celebration. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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