Did you know that some things that are taken for granted today were formerly illegal? They were banned, despite the perfect harmlessness. Often, people who implemented the prohibitions had completely different motives than was stated in public.
The prohibited items presented in our article range from sports and drinks to holidays. The ban on the holiday is especially surprising when you consider that this holiday is Christmas! Even more shocking, the ban was issued by a sect of Christians.
1
Football
Football, as we know it, came to us from England and Scotland. British sailors traveling around the world instilled football in any port where they stayed while sailing. It is all the more surprising that on the Foggy Albion itself, football was banned several times. The first ban was issued by King Edward II at the beginning of the XIV century. True, he touched only London. Since the monarch believed that the game causes too much noise, and can lead to unforeseen consequences. It is worth saying that at that time the game could last a day and night, and yard matches often ended in massive fights.
The heir to the king, Edward III, having ascended the throne, re-banned football in 1331, only now in the whole kingdom. After another 32 years, he banned practicing any kind of sport, leaving only one - shooting and bow. For centuries, football was also banned by Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V. Further prohibitions were explained by the fact that you should not spend time on a meaningless lesson when you can do such a noble thing as archery. In truth, the kings did not care about nurturing the spirit of the nation or instilling in them noble habits. It was a matter of simple jealousy. Ordinary British loved football so much that they chased the ball for days on end, while aristocrats could not afford to go down to such a low.
And there is an interesting article about the greatest football players in history on our site thebiggest.ru!
2
Christmas
In 1969, the Christian Puritan movement made the impossible by banning the celebration of Christmas. Puritans professed a strict interpretation of Christian dogma, considering all festivities, including Christmas, a sin. In addition, according to the Puritans, pagans came up with Christmas.
The first time the Christmas holidays were banned by English Protestants in 1644, after the Puritans occupied most places in the Parliament of England. Hearing of such a ban, Protestants of New England (one of the areas of the United States, then ruled by the British monarchy) issued a similar law. The ban was not limited to the fact of the cancellation of Christmas, decorations and Christmas trees were also canceled. Moreover, people were forbidden to cook minced meat pies and other dishes associated with Christmas.
In order not to secretly celebrate the holiday, the rulers demanded that all enterprises be kept open during the Christmas period. On the eve of the holiday, city heralds paced the streets, announcing that there would be no Christmas. In England, the ban lasted until 1660, and in its colony in North America until 1681.
3
Chess
It is hard to imagine, but the game of chess at different periods of history was prohibited in Persia, Japan, Egypt and France. Relatively recently, they were banned in Afghanistan, and in Saudi Arabia, the ban is valid in our time. The first were the Persians, who banned the game in 644, after the state was captured by the army of Muslims Umar ibn al-Khattab. Umar banned chess, since gambling abhorred his beliefs. It is worth noting that al-Khattab died in the same year at the hands of a Persian slave. We hope not because of chess.
Decades later, chess was banned by the Japanese empress Jito. At the beginning of the XI century, they were banned in Egypt, and several years later, Cardinal Damiani from Austin forbade all clergymen in his power to play chess. At the end of the 12th century, the Orthodox church banned chess. King of France Louis IX, apparently, was an unimportant strategist, since he banned chess in 1254 because of, cite, uselessness and dullness.
The Taliban banned chess in Afghanistan in 2001, citing the fact that fun can make people skip prayers, as well as develop a penchant for gambling. Their example was followed a couple of years ago by Saudi Arabia, whose ruler stated that chess was nothing more than a waste of time. Honestly, most of the announced reasons for the ban seem far-fetched, which forces us to look for valid reasons for the adoption of such barbaric laws.
Most likely, it's all about religion. If, when winning in ordinary games, people can believe in a higher being, bringing them luck, then in chess everything depends on the players themselves. The church was afraid of the consequences of people's faith in their own strengths, so she lobbied for a ban on the game of chess.
4
Popcorn
The ban on the sale of popcorn in movie theaters existed in the era of silent cinema. In those years, going to the cinema was a privilege of the upper strata of society, who were most attracted to reading subtitles. Cinemas were expensively furnished to cater to the demands of a fastidious audience. The floors were covered with expensive carpets and rugs, so movie theater owners did not want pieces of popcorn to ruin the fleecy fabric. By the way, at that time popcorn was sold in ordinary stalls on the street, along with, for example, ice cream.
Everything changed during the Great Depression, when a sound burst into the cinema. People no longer needed to be able to read in order to go to the film, which made such a pastime an ideal option for the lower classes of society. They came with their popcorn, which was worth a penny even during the Great Depression. Popcorn merchants “caught a wave” of the mood of the masses, bringing their retail outlets closer to movie theaters. The owners of cinemas also noticed changes in the mood of the masses, suggesting sellers of popcorn to stand around their establishments. The idyll did not last long, since the owners of movie theaters equipped popcorn sales points inside the buildings, independently making a profit from its sale.
5
Bowling
Bowling is another sport banned by the English monarchy in the past. King Edward III, the “hero” of the first position in our ranking, banned bowling in 1366, and what do you think, for what reason? That's right, he distracted the British population from archery. More than 100 years later, King Edward IV repeatedly banned ball riding and many other sports, with the same motivation as his ancestor, adding that bowling interferes with archers training.
Henry VIII banned bowling, despite his own passion for this game. Like his predecessors, he was too “worried” about archers who wasted their time rolling balls and not practicing at shooting ranges. Apparently, the love of bowling prevented Henry from banning him completely. However, laws were enacted that made bowling exclusively a privilege of the upper classes. First, every bowling lane owner had to pay a royal fee of £ 100. Secondly, the street bowling lawn was illegal. It was supposed to be located inside buildings, and operated only for personal purposes.
6
Trousers for women
At the beginning of the 19th century, the head of the Paris police announced that all women who wished to wear men's clothes should first obtain permission from the police department. After 92 years, the law was slightly changed, allowing the girls to wear trousers, provided they were riding on a horse or keeping animals behind the reins. In 1909, another amendment was added, now women could ride a bicycle in trousers - which means technological progress! If they dismounted, they should have kept their hands on the steering wheel. In the 69th year of the 20th century, the city council of the French capital asked the police department to repeal the law. The request was rejected (although no one forced to follow the law) with the remark that the ban may be needed due to the variability of the mode.
Ironically, the female police officers in Paris later began to wear a uniform with trousers. The next attempt to repeal the law in 2003 also failed. The Minister responsible for the observance of gender equality (yes, there is one), said that it was not necessary to cancel it, since it was not executed by anyone. The law was still repealed in 2013.
7
Credit cards for women
Despite the fact that in the United States there was no official law prohibiting women from using credit cards, they faced undisguised discrimination, trying to get a credit card. Married women were required to sign husbands before issuing a credit card. Widows and single girls, apparently, had to find men for themselves.
In addition, women had to indicate the number of children and their marital status before she was issued a credit card. Unlike men, women could receive on credit only half the amount of their earnings. The restriction of rights lasted until 1974, when the directive on the equality of rights in obtaining credit cards was adopted .. This law penalized discrimination against anyone who sends a request for a credit card by gender, religion, race, and so on.
8
A cafe
The English king Charles II in 1675 banned coffee houses. And to ban some entrepreneurial personalities, he also forbade the sale of coffee from his homes. In fact, he banned the sale of coffee, chocolate, tea, various sweets and other goods from home or in stores. It is worth noting that the king had nothing against coffee, he was simply afraid of the conspirators, who could plan an uprising in a cafe. At that time, coffee houses were like modern bars. In London alone, there were about 3,000, where people gathered every day to discuss the latest news, national issues and gossip.
Charles II was terribly incredulous, seeing the conspirators in each and every one. In the decree on coffee houses, he did not indicate the real reason for the ban. Instead, he stated that the work of the cafe disrupts public order and promotes laziness. The ban never entered into force, it was canceled two years before it began.
9
Bathing suit
Swimwear caused a panic in society, appearing at the beginning of the XX century. Until the 1900s, bathing suits were made of wool and covered the whole body, not particularly different from everyday clothes. The changes came after the sleeves disappeared in the swimsuits and they began to fit more to the body. In order not to disturb the public, laws began to operate on the beaches, involving the wearing of bathing suits of a certain length. Whole swimsuits were banned, and women who wore too short swimsuits lingered on and went to the police. Incidents happened in many cities, including New York and Chicago.
In 1919, 20 women enrolled in New York City Police Service following women's clothing at local beaches. In the state of Hawaii, short swimwear is allowed, provided that they are covered with longer fabric. Some women wrapped themselves in towels or raincoats so as not to break the law. The law has ceased to be respected since the mid-30s, with a depressing economic situation, the government did not have time for bathing suits.
How the bathing suit has changed over the past 100 years:
10
Bikini
Bikini is another victim of the fight against indecency. The invention of this swimsuit in 1946 led to public insanity. At some point, its inventor Louis Rear was so upset about the low sales of the swimsuit that he was ready to stop its production. Bikinis were banned for sale in France, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Australia and some US states. At one point, they were even forbidden to show in Hollywood films.
In the early 50s, the mayor of the Spanish city of Benidorm Pedro Zaragoza allowed citizens to wear bikinis, despite a nationwide ban. Tourists from Britain flew into the country with their bikinis, and the mayor realized that if he wants to turn Benidorm into a tourism center, he should allow these swimwear. Because of the law, several women had unpleasant conversations with members of the Civil Guard, but Zaragoza was undeniable - you can wear a bikini! To obtain permission, he went to Madrid on his own scooter, where he was to meet with dictator Francisco Franco. He traveled an eight-hour journey, smeared with engine oil. The arguments of Zaragoza convinced General Franco, and the bikini began to slowly but surely conquer Spain.