Welcome to the holiday season!

We here at the Legal Beagle wish you the most relaxing winter break and hope that you have a wonderful time celebrating with family and friends. 

Strangely enough, this wasn’t always the case for Rhode Island’s neighbor. It was against the law to celebrate Christmas in Massachusetts in 1659 and could result in a fine of five shillings. It was repealed in 1681. According to Stephen Nissenbaum’s The Battle for Christmas (can you guess which library staff member has that book?), Puritans thought that activities like caroling or decorating weren’t reflective of proper devotion. Christmas greenery had pagan origins, while caroling was just unbecoming and rowdy behavior. The embodiment of the Grinch and Scrooge before their creators were even born! 

Whatever you choose to celebrate, we hope you have a jolly time. It’s a time of keeping and making traditions, whether that be ugly sweater parties with friends, whipping up family recipes, or enjoying mulled wine. With finals over you all certainly have something to be cheerful about. But if you are staying in the area, check out some traditions old and new. As in years past, Roger Williams Zoo is holding a Holiday Lights Spectacular to revel in this time of year. The Holiday Market at Snowport offers food, entertainment, decorations, and everything for your gift-giving needs from over 120 small businesses.

We look forward to seeing you all in the new year! Cheers!