The Long View

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BBC Radio 4 FM

BBC Radio 4 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced BBC Home Service.

BBC Radio 4

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Radio 4 (FM)

Factual: History

History series in which stories from the past shed light on current events

Jonathan Freedland presents the series in which stories from the past are compared with current events.

BBC Radio 4 LW

The Long View: The Long View of Christmas in the Age of Covid

The Long View of Christmas in the Age of Covid

BBC Radio 4 - The Long View, The Long View of Christmas in the Age of Covid

The Long View of suppressing Christmas cheer

In 1644 the Puritans clamped down on Christmas festivities, but would the people comply?

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

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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The Long View

The Long View of Christmas in the Age of Covid

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