Do you wonder sometimes what our ancestors were doing to celebrate Christmas? Colonial Williamsburg Journal holiday issue 2007 printed a law passed in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Dec. 23, 1771. The law prohibited assembling in a riotous or tumultuous manner beating drums, firing guns or "hallowing and huzzaing" the day before Christmas or Christmas day. It also prohibited throwing clubs at fowls or shooting fowls in any public place where a human might be put into danger. And no boys were to be playing ball in the streets where they might break windows. It also prohibited gaming for money or playing for money in public places. Riding horses or driving carriages in the streets at more than 5 miles per hour was prohibited. Punishment for anyone breaking this law was a fine not to exceed 5 shillings, or imprisonment not to exceed 48 hours or being set in the stocks not to exceed 2 hours. Boys under the age of 12 were exempted from the punishment. Evidently all these activities were common or there would have been no need for a law to prohibit them. Such fun. Lets go "hallowing and huzzaing and beating drums in the street this year and see what happens. :-) ***************************** Sally Rolls Pavia sallypavia2001@yahoo.com List Owner: GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES-L-request@rootsweb.com Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES "All incoming and outgoing email checked by Norton Anti-Virus"