This is how Christmas was for the first American’s. They did not even take the day off work. Penalty for Keeping Christmas Christmas in America has not always been the holiday it is today. Caroline Kennedy, in her new book A Family Christmas (Hyperion, 2007), illustrates this on page 234, with an excerpt from the Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England: "For preventing disorders arising in severall places with this jurisdiction, by reason of some still observing such festvalls as were superstitiously kept in other countrys, to the great dishonnor of God and offence of others, it is therefore ordered by this Court and the authority thereof, that whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas or the like, either by forbearing of person labour, feasting, or any other way, upon any such accounts as aforesaid, every such person so offending shall pay for every such offence five shillings, as a fine to the county. And whereas, not only at such times, but at severall other times also, it is a custome too frequent in many places to expend time in unlawfull games, as cards, dice, &c, it is therefore further ordered, and by this Court declared, that after publication hereof, whosoever shall be found in any place within this jurisdiction playing either at cards or dice, contraty to this order, shall pay as a fine to the county the some of five shillings for every offence."