In the Christmas special edition of The Spectator we ask various luminaries about their traditions on the day itself. For David Cameron, it’s gathering the kids in bed to open presents. For Jacob Rees-Mogg it’s mass at Downside Abbey then the Queen’s Speech. For me, it’s watching a short American film about Christmas in Britain in 1941, when the country waited for German invasion. When I heard the church bells ring in Somerset this morning, I was reminded of a passage from it:-
“For the first time in history, no bells ring in England to celebrate the birth of the Saviour. No church bells are allowed to be rung in England. If they do, it will mean that the invader has come… There is no reason for America to feel sorry for England this Christmas – England does not feel sorry for herself. Destiny gave her the torch of liberty to hold and she has not dropped it.
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