Is it illegal to eat mince pies on Christmas Day and what are the origins of the rumoured ‘law’?
The tradition harks back to the time of Oliver Cromwell in the 1650s, when he sought to tackle gluttony in England
THOUSANDS of people happily tuck into mince pies on Christmas Day as part of their festive traditions.
But did you know that some think that it is illegal to eat mince pies on December 25? Here's everything you need to know.
Where did the banning of mince pies on Christmas Day come from?
It has been claimed that eating the snack is illegal in England, if done so on Christmas Day.
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.
The Christmas bans in 1657 didn’t go down well, causing outrage known as the Plum Pudding Riots in Canterbury in 1658.
Cromwell ended up having to send 3,000 soldiers from The Westgate Towers to break down the city gates and enforce the ban.
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Is it illegal to eat mince pies on Christmas Day?
It is a myth that mince pies are banned on Christmas Day. According to the , the ban didn’t survive when Charles II became king.
The Law Commission said none of the 11 laws that remained on the statute books after Cromwell's reign related to mince pies.
However, historian Mark Connelly from the University of Kent has claimed that the ban of eating mince pies still hasn't been abolished.
He said: "Cromwell held that if you're caught eating a mince pie on Christmas Day you're definitely trying to celebrate this banned festival."