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?

Even your second post shows this is all hearsay. Your friend sounds like she's got the wrong end of the stick entirely.

What's wrong with making the change to calling it a festive fayre or a winter wonderland disco answer absolutely nothing.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14069649/Parents-fury-school-tries-ban-Christmas-references-festive.html

From last year. No mention of Christmas in the pantomime.

NOT a ban on Christmas.

Is this it OP?

This

Can't sing Baa Baa Black Sheep any more either!

It’s not been banned then. Your thread title is inflammatory.

Why? What was it before? @Gofaster2023 What was the reason for the change?

Surely you understand the difference between one Diwali lunch and multiple Christmas events? I wouldn't be surprised if they had said that there needs to be equality, so one Christmas event and one for each other festival. That seems pretty reasonable to me.

Agree! No one is stopping anyone celebrating in the way they want.

apparently 🤔😂

I love this idea and even Festive Fayre.

Whether true in this instance or not, the OP makes a reasonable point. If schools are happy to call Diwali Diwali and Eid Eid, they shouldn’t rename Christmas. Our school called the Christmas Fair the Winter Fair, which weirdly sidestepped the fact that the only reason anyone has a fair (mainly held outside!) in the second half of the autumn term is because of Christmas.

I don’t see the point, anyone who has an objection to this on the basis of religion will know it’s all for xmas anyway and won’t want to take part. It’s a bit silly.

I do like the idea of winter festivals for those of us who aren’t Christians but tbh I also know all the fun stuff is because it’s actually Christmas. Anyone who finds the idea of the word Christmas objectionable should calm down.

Apart from the fact that we are a Christian country (with a state religion) and not a Hindu one? And no one apart from Hindus celebrates Diwali, whereas not just Christians celebrate Christmas.

Hindus know what they’re coming to when they move to the UK. I find the idea that they somehow don’t immensely patronising.

Do you not have a summer fair too then? What religious holiday is that celebrating?

Diwali and Eid are on set particular days and have specific religious meaning. Many children now (including those from nominal 'christian' backgrounds) do not identify with the religious context of Christmas. Making bird feeders and snow globes on 15th December outside of school is not a Christmas related event, they are more aligned with winter.

As far as I was aware saying you can’t use a certain word is the same as banning it?

@Grumpyoldpersonwithcats that story is interesting and yes that’s exactly what’s happened here.

i don’t think any of the words should be ‘banned’ for use to represent any events. Not Diwali or Christmas etc. Once you start doing this where does it end?

You're right. We just don't get to celebrate Christmas enough in this country. Beginning of November and we've only just started getting Christmas songs in the shops and shelves full of Christmas stuff it's a bloody disgrace

It’ll be like all those imaginary Muslims on town councils saying it’s now called ‘Winterval’ or ‘Wintermas’.🙄

Hindus know what they’re coming to when they move to the UK.

Why are you assuming that Hindus have moved to the UK instead of being born here?

No one is offended by the word Christmas but I think we can all agree it's November and it's already everywhere. Calling it a winter fayre isn't detracting from Christmas but December is about more than one day, not every event needs to be prefaced with the word.

I feel your comment is actually unnecessarily hostile and divisive, not OP

Not very inclusive to Satanists though is it?💔

Is it just the name of the events that has changed or is the word Christmas banned for everyone and everything?
So no Christmas lunch, no Christmas jumper day, no Christmas cards, no talking about Christmas and so on?

Are you very religious? What dos your priest say about this?

There is no need for it to be a ‘Christmas fayre’ it’s not a religious event. It’s fine for it to be ‘Christmas’ but if it puts people off who enjoy the ‘festivities’ of the time of year then changing the name makes little difference. You can informally call it the Christmas fayre anyway.

Are they not having a Christmas lunch then OP?

Nobody objects to the word Christmas