 It's the season to be jolly, but why was Christmas banned in Scotland? Well firstly, Christmas wasn't actually called Christmas in Scotland for centuries, it was called Yule. The origins of Yule were with Germanic peoples and notably the Vikings, who would celebrate the winter solstice in December with a festival. The reason why Yule was banned in Scotland is related to the Reformation, when anything associated with the Roman Catholic Church was in question. In 1640, the Scottish Parliament went so far as to pass a law banning Yule vacations. While this act was repealed decades later, celebrating Christmas was frowned upon for centuries, and it's why Hogmania New Year's Eve is and certainly was such a massive celebration in Scotland.