The Long View of Christmas in the Age of Covid

A society wrestles with what to do about enjoying itself over Christmas. Prevailing thinking says that hidden dangers lurk in enjoying the festivities that we are used to. Debate rages across the country about self-restraint, family reunions, and fears over the consequences of getting it wrong. That’s the story today, as governments and individuals try to decide how much freedom we can allow ourselves over Christmas at the height of the Covid pandemic.
But it was also the story in 1644, as the Puritan controlled government of the day, imposed stringent restrictions on festivities, not because of plague and pestilence this time, but because of a fear of moral degeneracy and damnation.

Producer: Sarah Shebbeare