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?

Possibly in America. Not in the UK, at least not in the last 40 years.

Do the school have a Beltane brunch or a Samhaim supper -both of these are far more representative of British culture than Diwali.

if this is correct it’s disgusting and I would be contacting the Daily Mail to guarantee the most fuss was created round this.

We need to ensure this crap is pushed back at every opportunity

Yes exactly - the "German Christmas markets" Christmas fans from other countries often enjoy as tourists never used to be called Christmas markets (nor Weihnachtsmarkt) but Adventsmarkt, Nicolaus Markt, Christkindlmarkt (which literally translates as christ-child except weirdly isn't, and is usually represented as an angel, often a teenaged girl in a winged outfit).

Gift giving (in the UK and most of Europe) used to be associated more with the feast of St Nicholas on 6th December and with new year's Eve/ day than with 24th/ 25th December, until the 16th century. It changed because of church politics and the battles between Catholic and Protestant factions.

Protestant leaders wanted to reduce emphasis on saints, so people weren't allowed to celebrate St Nicholas more overtly than Christmas.

It used to really be a case of not being allowed to say things, because you'd be burnt as a heretic...

Showing my age there.

If they were that dead set on cancelling Christmas I don't think they'd have a Santa's grotto.

Yes exactly - the "German Christmas markets" Christmas fans from other countries often enjoy as tourists never used to be called Christmas markets (nor Weihnachtsmarkt) but Adventsmarkt, Nicolaus Markt, Christkindlmarkt (which literally translates as christ-child except weirdly isn't, and is usually represented as an angel, often a teenaged girl in a winged outfit).

A few years ago I saw Henning Wehn at the Birmingham Town Hall in December. He began by saying how much he enjoyed the German Christmas Market and had not idea so many of his compatriots came from Romania ....

Yes, it’s disappointing to see how many in here are perfectly happy to justify this erosion and wave away blatant anti Christian discrimination.

I’m sure the responses would be very different if someone was discriminating against another religion.

I suspect you'll shortly be getting an invitation to the school's carol concert, when the word Christmas and all sorts of Christian references will be used to your heart's content.

Which Christian part of Christmas has been eroded?

I wish I could have found one of these schools that bans Christmas for my own children. Both of them were absolutely done in by mid December when at primary school. The autistic one in particular hated the routine changes and how much singing was involved and used to melt down quite spectacularly.

Of course they don’t exist which makes it difficult.

I don't go about bashing folks in costumes, but the whole thing is a bit nuts IMHO.

Christmas is the ONLY reason for the holidays and festivities! Less they forget!

Why not call it Christmas fair as I’m sure it used to be referred to as that

Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, not ‘usually Dec 1st’.

Sparking outrage and division ? We keep that for the male of the species.
I sincerely hope the post is fake, because of it isn’t that’s a cause of concern. What about other festivals ?

In your opinion.

Around that time then, still when dc are in school

also the advent calendars usually start December 1st

Advent and Advent Calenders aren't quite the same thing.

The only reason? Are you absolutely certain about that?

yes true especially in recent years but I expect ACs evolved from Advent.

I remember as a child they had windows with pictures of candles, robins, snow etc and Jesus in the Manger on the 25th

Fun fact. Mary was a huge fan of the Liberty advent calendar. She insisted on opening it starting Dec. 1.

Change that date and all is meaningless.

I’m sure it was widely available in Bethlehem around that time😀

They're just another money making 'keep up with the Joneses' exercise nowadays. Don't start me on those flipping creepy Elves either.

Sorry, I don’t believe anyone would say Christmas was ‘offensive’. It’s not. Not to anyone of any religion, and everyone knows that (even those who pretend not to). ‘To not exclude’ I’d accept as a possibility.

What erosion of Christianity are you talking about? Nobody is suggesting we don't have Nativity plays, or carol concerts, or people shouldn't go to church on Christmas Day. Nobody is saying we should rename any Christian aspect of the season, just bits that aren't specific to it.

All we are asking is that all the other myriad festivals at the same time of year, most of which have been co-opted by Christmas, are considered.

What has a sale of goods, even if for charity, got to do with the birth of Christ? Or feasting, partying and/or giving gifts - those practices were part of the mid-winter festivals millennia before the birth of Christ, not specifically introduced at this time of year for his birth? What have decorated trees got to do with his birth? Bringing evergreens into the house?

As someone who believes in one of the most discriminated (by Christians no less) faiths, I feel my beliefs have been eroded historically by Christianity smothering our festivals by celebrating theirs at a time of year that has been proven to be historically impossible for it to have occurred. By building churches on top of our sacred places of worship. By burning & hanging innocent women who happened to know a bit about herbal remedies.

At least SOME religions don't slaughter members of the same faith because they interpret a few words in a slightly different way!