The tradition comes from the time of Oliver Cromwell in the 1650s , when mince pies were banned at Christmas, along with other tasty treats. Cromwell wanted to tackle gluttony in England. He also argued that Christmas contained too many superstitions of the Roman Catholic Church, which he hated.
Is it illegal to eat mince pies on Christmas in the UK?
It is illegal to eat mince pies on Christmas Day . ... However, mince pies themselves were never banned, although they were strongly disapproved of as a symbol of the immoral excesses of the festive season. Further legislation was proposed in 1656 to clamp down on illicit Christmas celebrations, but it was never enacted.
Why is it illegal to eat a mince pie on Christmas Day?
Is eating mince pies on Christmas day illegal? Oliver Cromwell banned mince pies and other Christmas treats in the 1650’s in order to tackle gluttony. ... Nowadays it is virtually compulsory to eat mince pies on Christmas Day!
Why did Oliver Cromwell make mince pies illegal?
This is one of those ‘facts’ that everyone knows – dour old Puritan Oliver Cromwell hated merriment and fun and laughing and dancing and so banned mince pies when he was Lord Protector because nothing is more guaranteed to bring pleasure and enrage a killjoy than a little pagan sweet pie dusted with icing sugar ...
What pie was outlawed when Christmas was banned in England?
In 2015, the Law Commission thankfully confirmed there is no current law that prohibits indulging in the occasional mince pie ; however, such a ban did exist in England, a few centuries back in the 17 th century, and what followed after the mince pie ban was a prohibition on celebrating Christmas in its entirety.
Is it illegal to be drunk in a pub?
Everyone know it’s illegal to be drunk and disorderly and to drink and drive – but did you know it’s also against the law to be drunk inside a pub? ... Section 12 of the Act says “every person found drunk...on any licensed premises shall be a liable to a penalty”.
Is it illegal for a woman to eat chocolate on public transport?
6) Sorry ladies, but an obsolete nineteenth-century English law made it illegal for you to eat chocolate on any mode of public transport... ... You’re legally entitled to relieve yourself anywhere you want, thanks to a wee technicality in the law.
Why is the filling in mince pies called mince meat?
The reason mincemeat is called meat is because that’s exactly what it used to be: most often mutton, but also beef, rabbit, pork or game . Mince pies were first served in the early middle ages, and the pies were quite sizeable, filled with a mixture of finely minced meat, chopped up fruit and a preserving liquid.
Does mincemeat pie have meat?
Mincemeat is a mixture of chopped dried fruit, distilled spirits and spices, and sometimes beef suet, beef, or venison. Originally, mincemeat always contained meat . Many modern recipes contain beef suet, though vegetable shortening is sometimes used in its place.
When can I start eating mince pies?
A custom from the middle ages says that if you eat a mince pie on every day from Christmas to Twelfth Night (evening of the 5th January) you will have happiness for the next 12 months!
Did Oliver Cromwell cancel Xmas?
Giving liberty to carnal and sensual delights
From this point until the Restoration in 1660, Christmas was officially illegal. Although Cromwell himself did not initiate the banning of Christmas , his rise to power certainly resulted in the promotion of measures that severely curtailed such celebrations.
When did Oliver Cromwell ban mince pies?
The outright ban came in June 1647 , when Parliament passed an ordinance banning Christmas, Easter and Whitsun festivities, services and celebrations, including festivities in the home, with fines for non-compliance – although they also introduced a monthly secular public holiday (the equivalent of a modern bank holiday ...
Which ruler banned mince pies in the 1600s?
Mince pie ban
Evidence: Festive celebrations, including mince pies and Christmas puddings, were reportedly banned in Oliver Cromwell’s England as part of efforts to tackle gluttony. But the ban did not survive when Charles II became king.
Why is it illegal to get drunk in a pub?
The 1872 Licensing Act effectively states that it is illegal to be drunk in the pub by making being drunk anywhere an offence . It states: “Every person found drunk in any highway or other public place, whether a building or not, or on any licensed premises, shall be liable to a penalty.”
Why can’t you be drunk in a pub?
Rules state it is an offence to be drunk on pub premises – even though customers go to a pub to be served alcohol. Section 12 of the 1872 Licensing Act stipulates that ‘every person found drunk... on any licensed premises shall be liable to a penalty’, which currently stands at £200.
