Our school has banned the word Christmas?

[Fayethefair]

I’ve heard from a friend on my DD’s school’s ptfa that our Cambridgeshire school has banned the word Christmas to make the school events feel more inclusive. So now it’s Festive Party, Festive Fayre etc. I’m happy to let mumsnet know the name of the school if they don’t feel this post is genuine so they can check this themselves but I won’t put names on here as this is my child’s school, I just don’t think this right and want to see what others think.

My daughter attended a Diwali lunch put on by the school recently and I genuinely thought this was lovely. I feel everything should be represented equally, I don’t understand or agree that the head should be picking and choosing what’s allowed and what isn’t. Surely this isn’t right?

I wonder… if nobody had told you, would you have noticed?

The word ‘festive’ is often used at Christmas, as are things like ‘Season’s Greetings’. We associate them with Christmas even though they don’t say it.

Christmas is part of our (supposed) Christian culture. If we forget our culture, we lose our knowledge off who we are and where we came from. So call it Christmas and celebrate Christmas, at least it is an opportunity for other cultures to learn about ours as they integrate into it. Celebrate Diwali and Eid etc too so we learn about theirs. That way understanding and friendships are created. And just for the record, I also think that we are all equal under the same British law. No special courts and certainly no religious ones where women usually come off worse.

When you used the term 'banned' I thought you meant the actual word was banned from being used in school by all but renaming a Christmas party to a festive party and being upset about it seems silly. It's not like it was cancelled. The children are probably still being taught about the Christian beliefs on Christmas and the birth of Jesus. I couldn't get too worked up about it. The principal is always going to annoy or offend someone. Impossible to keep everyone happy.

You mean do something ?

Reported.

The confected argument about “we can’t mention Christmas any more” gets earlier every year.

Interestingly if you look at festivals and fairs from 100+ years ago they were normally described as Winter fairs/Winter markets/frost fairs rather than Christmas events. Christmas was a term retained for the actual Christmas period rather than primarily a sales mechanism for consumer extravaganzas.

Christmas is part of our (supposed) Christian culture.

So is charity and forgiveness and helping others. Yet defending them gets short shrift from some.

If we forget our culture, we lose our knowledge off who we are and where we came from.

I think the cultural history of Britain is very much a story of change and adaptation amidst the oppression and violence. So it's quite safe, never fear.

The confected argument about “we can’t mention Christmas any more” gets earlier every year.

We really need a chefs kiss emoji.

Tell that to the Muslims who get hate speech thrown at them in the street (even girls) just because they're wearing head scarves.

When was the last time someone spat racist bile at you because you were wearing a cross necklace?

Big difference between banning it and just choosing to use another name. Although I don't see how it's supposed to make it more 'inclusive', using another name - on behalf of who? I'm not religious and don't have any issue with Christmas being called Christmas, and I have received Christmas cards from Muslims and Sikh friends, neighbours and colleagues. I don't know any that have voiced any objections to Christmas or its name. Just mostly white Christian or culturally Christian people trying to decide whether others are secretly feeling a bit excluded or not.

Good, hate Christmas.

It is the same at our local primary school - now a winter fayre - winter disco etc. We live in a highly diverse area and more than half of the school pupils are Muslim so I presume that's why. I am not a devout christian whatsoever but I do think people are very comfortable minimising the erasure of anything to do with Christianity. If your faith is important to you it must be upsetting to see it slowly being phased out.

😂

"I’ve heard from a friend"

Why didn't you call the school yourself and ask them yourself?

Why would you start a thread here that you knew very well had the reasonable prospect of becoming inflammatory?

Inflammatory.

As if anyone needed that; other than to get the hackles up, and the blood pumping?

You say the word "Christmas" has been "banned" at your child's school.

"Banned" is a very powerful word, which implies punishment by school authorities if the word is spoken or written.

There are no schools in the U.K. where the word "Christmas" has been "banned", and I think OP knows this.

This is a 'pot stirring' post.

In many places where there are people who celebrate different religions, with it's attendant festivals and traditions, the aim is shifting toward awareness of this, and inclusivity toward all religions and festivals.

There is nothing wrong with calling a festival that occurs in the month of December a " Winter Fest" "Warming Festival" "Fun Fayre" etc... it is fun for all, supposedly, and inclusive to all.

Nothing religious about it, in fact, many of these office parties that happen in November/December in the name of "Christmas" have more to do with excess celebrating, in all aspects of the word, and nothing to do with the teachings of Christ.

I'm sure when the school's Festival in December rolls out, there will be all the usual trappings; glitter, balloons, candy, streamers etc....so no Christian child will be offended and children of other faiths will have just as nice a time without feeling left out.

That is the true meaning for the festival, and of Christ's teaching too.

Honestly, how gullible?
What is the punishment for individuals who say the word “Christmas”?
There isn’t one, is there?
What difference does it make if they use winter celebration instead of Christmas, so that those who don’t celebrate Christmas feel included? Does it mean those who do can’t join in?
The Christian folk in this country have all their holidays protected, face no persecution for their beliefs, have plenty of faith schools to choose from, Christian prayers and RE lessons taught in non denomination schools. Christmas is rammed down our necks every year from 1st November. So how is one celebration not using the word Christmas in its title really actually hurting anyone?

Do you not get enough Christmassy stuff at your church?

There's a purely English history to banning Christmas celebrations and it was not done in the name of inclusion or because of Muslims or lefty Councils. It goes right back to 1644 and was done because everything associated with Christmas was considered either ungodly/not Biblical/a bit Catholic. Then as now it was absolutely unworkable and most people just ignored it and did their own thing. Seeing at the Puritans didn't manage to ban it I don't think a headteacher will

My workplace recently had a staff survey where the only people who objected to the December office event were two Jehovah's Witnesses. We've never called it a Christmas event but an end of term celebration. We collect for a food bank and also a charity that works with low income families, there is an optional Christmas jumper. Off the top of my head my colleagues are : Muslim, Hindu, Baha'i, various types of Protestant,/non conformist, Catholic, Jewish convert, Buddhist (Thai and Chinese), Orthodox Christian (Greek I think) and loads of atheists. We still decorate the office with tinsel and we have a Christmas tree that falls over if you look at it wrong. We've managed this for over 12 years and nobody's ever had an issue

Because of something someone posted on mumsnet that they "heard from a friend"?

Email the school first to check this is true then if so, complain to the Head and Governors and if necessary the local authority.

But Christmas is really secular. Unless a craft session is making a model of the baby Jesus in a crib, why would you not take your child to it if it was making snowflakes, robins etc.

Of course people of other religions can opt out of any religious aspects, but lets face it so do most British people and Christmas and Easter are just about seeing friends/family and eating turkey and chocolate respectively and most people don't go to church.

Good point above about the Puritans trying to ban Christmas!

The title of your thread is inaccurate and inflammatory and everything that is wrong with this country at the moment.

I suggest you stop telling lies.

Not sure why Diwali and Christmas are being compared. Christmas is probably one of the most widely recognised, celebrated and commercialised holidays in the world... It has become so embedded in Western culture that it is basically inescapable. I don't think we need to be precious about Christmas.

Most festive or 'Christmassy' events are about Santa anyway, not Jesus, and designed to instil a sense of magic in children. I don't think these events need to be associated with Christmas as a religious holiday, when the activities have little to no religious bearing.

If you are offended by the name 'Festive Fayre' because it's un-Christian, I would wonder why you are not also offended by the presence of elves and magcial grottos.

Yes, there's a concerted effort by the powers that be end the celebration of Christmas across the UK.

Why you ask? Probably something, something, Islamists.

I believe religion is responsible for a great deal of harm in the world (and it only gets a hold because children are brainwashed by their parents over the generations).
Ideally, imo, no religion should be taught until children each 18 years, when they can be given a choice what they want to believe).
Failing that, schools should call festive occasions: festive occasions. The 'Winter Holiday' would do. Xmas was originally a mid-winter pagan festival anyway.

We've still got 12 more hours of poppy rage, can we hold off on "you can't say christmas any more" rage until then?