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?

“@ainsleysanob it looks like it yes! Thanks for being the voice of reason. Honestly, people on here are just so angry and bitter, it’s like having a discussion with a brick wall so utterly pointless. I’m signing off now and won’t be reading further comments on this thread.
Have fun with the squabbling ladies!”

Who are you kidding @Fayethefair… course you’ll still be reading the posts 🤣🫠

I've heard the same nonsense recently from someone planning a Christmas party for a hobby group adults. There's a push from some quarters to refer to 'festivities' rather than Xmas.

Christmas is for Christians the celebration of Christ’s birth. It is celebrated in Christian countries and by Christians around the world in many different ways. Banning the word is an insult to Christians. The only circumstances under which the word Christmas can be legitimately avoided is if all religious names are “banned” and all celebrations are given generic names.
It is not for you to decide how religious a particular celebration is.

Yes, that's all true. But nobody has banned the word Christmas at this school. The OP said they have, but they haven't.

They've just decided that an event selling things related to Christmas, and things not related to Christmas, should be called a "Winter fair."

When they teach about Christmas and do things that are only related to Christmas, they will use the word Christmas.

Every Hindu I know does. (I know a lot of Hindus).
Christmas tress, turkey dinner, family gatherings, Santa visits....
No midnight mass though.

Of course, they are all from immigrants of the 60s/70s where assimilation was very much the goal.

(and Jesus was the 10th reincarnation of Krishna)

Best not to try and offend the Christians. Not a helpful post.

That’s quite the stretch to pretend that the school would hold a fair in winter if Christmas (or any winter festival) didn’t exist.

I’m sorry, but no. I am an atheist, but I celebrate at Christmas. Not because of the birth of Jesus (who was likely born in February anyway) but because of its older meaning as a festival of warmth/light/family/giving in mid winter. This is no longer a “Christian “ country - most people do not attend church. Christians are supposed to be loving, accepting, forgiving and welcoming. Forcing people to observe a religious festival or use a particular word for it is pretty in-Christian in my view.

To be fair, that's not what they said.

Christmas is a very Eurocentric Christian celebration that is particularly exclusionary to people from other places around the world and of different faiths. It should have no place in schools or other public places.

England is still a Christian country.

Wtf! We are in England, we are in Europe. Of course we can celebrate our own festivals here, as we have done for thousands of years. Would you go to Saudi or UAE and tell them they can’t celebrate Ramadan etc?

Sorry that is nonsense. We will be keeping Christmas as we have 'Eurocentric' Christian traditions and values that we want to uphold in this country. Is that OK with you?

No it’s not. Nobody is stopping your from celebrating at home, buying the presents and tucking in to a big greasy turkey carcass with whoever else who may partake. But we live in a multicultural country now and the old traditions should be left with the old attitudes, in the dustbin of time.

Winter festival sounds wonderful.

Sorry I just needed to repost this quote as I am still trying to understand how non - Europeans get to tell us how to do Christmas!

Lol - you wish.

I agree completely
Christmas is something completely non religious for us and quite a lot of other people.
Its about a time to eat, relax, spend time with family etc, Christianity has nothing to do with it for many people, its evolved.

And Radical Islam is focusing on promoting ‘Winterval’, is it? Terrifying.

You probably follow Christian values though without realising it. Culture cannot really be wiped out in a few decades.

Who is forcing anyone to take part in it ? The issue here is that the word ‘Christmas’ itself implies a Christian festival so is not inclusive to non Christians. Well why on earth should it be ? Any more than Ramadan, Diwali or Eid should be renamed to make it more accessible to those not of the faith involved ? The fact that many don’t associate it with religion is totally irrelevant. It’s one more custom, part of our heritage, that’s being eroded for the most ridiculous of reasons, what stands out here is that in all likelihood no-one of any other religion or culture has complained, but some white, woke, middle class person has taken it upon themselves to be offended on their behalf.

Christmas has not been renamed

What are Christian values?
If you mean living as a decent human being thats not exclusive to Christians

My work calls our Christmas party an ‘end of year party’ to be inclusive.. fine I spose although you don’t have to even be religious to celebrate Christmas but anyway, they still make everyone take the 3 days around Christmas off as annual
leave, which doesn’t really make sense in terms of inclusivity