to hate it when people write "Xmas"?

[LeftMyRidingCropInTheMortuary]

It is, after all, a festival about Christ.

Putting an "x" instead of His name is lazy and disrespectful.
If you don't want a Christian Christmas, refer to the "holidays" instead.

Well, obviously there are people who'd rather not have them or there wouldn't be schools who'd chosen not to do them. Where are these schools/councils, out of interest?

Given that it seems that only a minority of those who identify as 'Christian' actually believe in God or Jesus (which seems a pretty fundamental part of Christianity to me) the claim that it's for a majority seems to be on pretty shaky ground, even without the fact that those who identify as Christian in the census (not a brilliantly objective measure due to the contentious and leading nature of the question) is in very steep decline.

I have no objection to them as a cultural event as long as children aren't taught the events are historical fact. Unfortunately I think that's not always the case. I'm assuming you have no problem with it being presented to kids as 'Christians/some people believe this happened' as opposed to 'this is how baby Jesus was born and he was the son of God'?

However, I'm not arrogant enough to expect that everyone else agrees with me, and many may object to it on a similar basis to my objection to compulsory worship (Christianity being presented as the default/primary choice in what should be a neutral space).

Xmas Xmas Xmas Xmas

Sorry couldn't resist

QofF, thankfully most Christians I know are like you.

Well, obviously there are people who'd rather not have them or there wouldn't be schools who'd chosen not to do them. Where are these schools/councils, out of interest?

I too would like evidence of any school that has refused to do a nativity. I wonder if it is like Winterval m.huffpost.com/uk/entry/4464410

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1571187/School-nativity-plays-under-threat.html
That might answer your question, but tbh I'm amazed that anyone thought this wasn't so. It's hardly been hushed up.

A survey of 100 schools from 2007, where the schools quoted said they were doing what was in the interests of the majority of their pupils? The schools quoted seem to be those with diverse intakes where the majority may not be Christian - so what's the problem with not pushing a minority (for that school) faith event on them?

And how is that councils (cited by you) 'banning' nativity plays?

I do wonder how they picked the 100 schools for their survey...

I'm glad though you haven't cited the Netmums Christmas PR fodder 'survey' from last year which looks even more dodgy.

I bet none of those schools took the time to ask the pupils if they would rather not have a nativity. So what if many of those pupils were not Christian. They've come to a Christian school, why would they be bothered about seeing a nativity play, what do they expect? Far too much political correctness in schools and councils. Frightened to offend any religion bar Christians. Shameful.

They've come to a Christian school, why would they be bothered about seeing a nativity play, what do they expect?

So your argument is 'all schools are/should be Christian by default, so anyone accessing state funded education in England should expect Christianity to dominate over other religions whether it reflects the makeup of the student body or not'?

And you were asking about Christianity being imposed on non-Christians?

Your arrogance in assuming to know what students would prefer is pretty breathtaking - as is your willingness to sideline other faiths to ensure Chrustianity remains dominant.

How is Christianity being 'offended' by having celebrations that are more reflective of the student body? Is it back to 'the schools treating Christianity the same as other religions, and I don't like that'? (Though I'd take issue with your premise of sole persecution anyway - no one at all gives a flying fuck about the atheists.)

You mentioned councils again. Any update on which ones?

Its not a religious objection from me but this is a pet hate of mine. The name is Christmas, not Xmas.

Far too much political correctness in schools and councils. Frightened to offend any religion bar Christians. Shameful.

Hang on, haven't we just had a bunch of threads about schools banning Halloween parties? You know the ones where a Christian head has banned Halloween?

QofF Well said.

And I think grass roots RC is changing and is far more tollerant than it once was. I was in an RC church for a christning, where the priest welcomed 'everyone of all faiths and particularly those with no faith' I nearly fainted.

They've come to a Christian school,
There are very few options unless you send your children to one of the very few non Christian schools. All schools BY LAW have to have an act of Christian worship. Not just church schools, all schools.

Oh blimey. I don't much like Xmas (only because it isn't as pretty as Christmas) but I see the discussion has moved on a bit.

Someone earlier mentioned the Magi. I think in Spain they have what we think of Christmas on Twelth Night (when the Magi turned up).

I don't like xmas (when x is just an x). When I realised it was an old abbreviation based on the greek letter chi (given most of the new testament was written in greek) - I quite like it.

I have seen "x"topher and "x"tofer in old parish registers (1500-1700s) - it does bug me when they are mistranscribed as X.... rather than Chris... (although that is maybe a bit obscure to both many people )

I take the Telegraph survey with a large pinch of salt.
They asked 100 primary schools. That is a very small percentage of the total number of schools in England, let alone the uk. How were those schools chosen? If I were a journalist wanting to make a point about schools not doing nativitys then I would be sure to contact schools in areas with very high Muslim populations.
Sorry but this is not nearly a large or random enough sample to draw a conclusion from.
And as for it being widely commented on so was Winterval, banning conkers and the EU demanding straight bananas all of which were nonsense. Just because people repeat a story it doesn't make it true.

crossandquill.com/journey/the-influence-of-christianity-on-western-civilization
So much negativity about Christianity and so much taken for granted. What a bleak world it would have been without it.

Just noticed MN have an "Xmas" section at the top of their page. Very disappointing.

Nativity plays aren't 'banned' because people are 'offended', they're just largely redundant because most people don't believe and celebrate the story.

At my school we did a little panto most years which I think is perfect; traditional, festive, lots of fun for the kids to be in, lots of good roles (rather than half the school angsting over being either Mary) and...well, not a comedy classic for the adults, but at least something different each year.

My kids never did the 'nativity' play either, and the eldest is 27. It wasn't banned or made into a big deal, they just did other christmassy things without the religious element.
icedcrunch there's definitely a counter argument to that.

I'm a Christian and I don't object to the word Xmas, what bothers me is some of the ridiculous politically correct terms for replacing the word Christmas with something like winterfest or winter holiday. I also object to the banning in some schools of the nativity play. But that's a whole new thread.

Still waiting for a citation of a school that has 'banned' nativitys and any case in this country of the word Christmas being replaced by 'winter holidays'.

There's another thread on MN about a school nativity play featuring a hen party (I think the hens are at the inn, have filled up the inn, not really sure). All I can think of to that is thank God that we have separation of church and state in the US so no school nativity plays at all.

I should add no state school nativity plays. Faith-based schools in the US, which are all private schools, might have nativity plays, it they are Christian schools, of course. Although I am pretty sure they don't feature hen parties.