Is anyone familiar with this version of the Christmas story that ds was told in Reception

[saadia]

Bearing in mind that his version is not always entirely accurate, ds1 came home from school and told me that they had been talking about Christmas so I asked what the teacher said, expecting at least something resembling a version of the Nativity story.

But he told me that a tree had been very cold and lonely and then some birds came and decorated it to make it feel better - I am utterly bemused. I realise this may be some attempt by the school to be PC but still find it strange.

My DDs' school used to have the whole first school doing some sort of musical nativity play. They were always great but I was a bit put out because they spent so much of the half term working on it which did not seem an appropriate use of school time to me. Last couple of years it's only been reception doing it so presumably the new Head feels the same.
We live in one of the most multi ethic boroughs in London and as far as I know no one ever had any objections to doing the nativity on religious grounds and parents of Muslim, Hindu and every other religious persuasion turned up in droves.
I'm always a bit annoyed by the PC stance of not 'doing' Christmas in case it offends - as an atheist it doesn't offend me and it is merely a reflection of an overarching christian heritage and tradition that goes back a long way. However if elves and fir trees are part of a good yarn that reflects the basic principles behind Christmas and the kids enjoy - what's the problem.
Christmas is not being 'bastardised' it's evolving into something that brings us together and reminds us of our commonalities - surely something no true christian would not embrace? Just about everyone in this country of whatever persuasion marks Christmas to some extend. For a start it has become a nation winter festival of consumerism and as such is hard to ignore on any level especially if you've got kids. It is transforming into a totally inclusive celebration of family togetherness, theoretically focussing on all of our best instincts towards peace, love, hope, forgiveness etc etc. Christians can celebrate in church, the rest of us in the pub or in front of the tv or making snowmen in the garden. There's still something special in the anticipation of the event and in the air on Christmas Day and long may the elves prance, the spders spin, fir trees grown, the cattle low, the star and angels sparkle - and the hips wiggle!

i don't think it is bastardising though custardo.

a lot of 'christians' in this country are really not that arsed about what christmas is really about, so surely christmas plays about fairies and trees and what not is fine, especially in non religious schools.

go to church for a proper nativity.

I think possibly the teachers get a bit tired of doing the same play year after year too!

As far as spending too much time on it goes, the autumn term is always soooooooooo long that I sometimes think rehearsing the play and looking forward to the performance is the only thing that gets the little ones through until Christmas still standing

I love whoops a daisy angel

of course its bastardising. changing the meaning.

if non religeous schools dont want to celebrate it - great - but dont go around making shit up becuase its too religeous.

if the school even did some half hearted research with the children into a pagen festival - superfab

wouldn't do that to the jewish seikh or muslim faith

equality is all i ask - why not just ignore it like hanukka or learn about the christian story as we learn about other faiths.

we've had Little Fir Tree and whoopsadaisy angel. And The Inkeeper's breakfast.

They're all variants of the "proper" nativity story from the bible, the essential story isn't changed at all. They're just all from slightly different perspectives. the angel's, the inkeeper's, the tree's (!)

They do learn about it, in RE.

would any school change the meaning of any other major religeous day

for a bit of a jolly sing along?

actually my dds have done a play this week, "Sita and the monkeys" or something, for Diwali. It sounds a bit bastardised to me, the way they play it anyway. rather a lot of monkeys and short of theological back-up I suspect.

My dd is a caterpillar in her school play, another, her other friend is a batand there are a few creepy crawlies as well. Dd is ata catholic school so when I asked her what creepy crawlies had to do with Christmas she said Jesus loves everyone even bugs!

abd this "nativity" is being held in church!

Custardo - out school has a diwali disco, what's that got to do with religion - again everyone loves it - so far no complaints of bastardisation!!
The schools do teach all the major religions and diwali, eid, hanukka all get marked at the time. The meaning of Christmas is not been changed. The trappings are being adapted to the times in order to reach out with it's message to everyone. Isn't that a positive for Christians - spreading the word to the unenlightened (or were the Crusades all for nothing!)
The truth is that we are now living in a post-christian culture but the heritage and traditions are still strong, so overall more attention to Christmas and less to other festivals which in the scheme of things are still newcomers.

festival of light - having a disco i see the point and nothing wrong in clebrating it ATALL

howeer should one say - oh everyone loves that festival of light disco - however bit too religeos especially in todays climate

lets call it the disco of light - and forget any religeous conotation

that would be different

We're doing Whoops a Daisy Angel too - seems to be popular this year!

Oh and dd in key stage 2 is doing Stable Manners

DD did Whoops-a-Daisy Angel last year - it was very sweet.

When DS falls over and I say whoops-a-daisy now, he always finishes off with 'angel'!! LOL

Festival of Light is religious! Durrr!

Christmas is about Baby Jesus and if you don't celebrate his birthday then you won't get any presents you selfish gits!

What I meant to say was that so long as you celebrate the Festival of Lights with, er, lights, then for the Hindus it hasn't lost it's religious connotations.

If you celebrate Christmas without Baby Jesus then you should have to call it summat else, like "Heathen Day"

Baby jesus is a central part of Whoops a daisy angel, Little fir tree, and Inkeeper's breakfast. I can't quite now place the role of the fir tree, I did see it 3 years ago, but I think it was very honoured to be chosen to represent jesus or something in a hospital, and also was used for mary and joseph to rest underneath on their walk to bethlehem.

I may be getting mixed up there of course. but that was the general impression.

Do they have fir trees in Jerusalem?

perhaps it was a Miraculous fir tree. Cedar of Lebanon fir perhaps.

"lets call it the disco of light - and forget any religeous conotation

that would be different "

But that's not what's happening with Christmas? No one's changing it's name (well maybe the odd nutty council who only succeed in being turned into a general figure of fun in the media!)
Churches and probably faith schools and other faith based organisations continue to focus on the baby Jesus, non faith schools and organisations blur the edges to be more inclusive while highlighting and maintaining the celebration of the basis principles we'd all do well to aspire too. How can it be a religious festival for those with other gods or none? Don't you think it's a confirmation of the validity of the basic christian beliefs that it's possible for everyone to get something out of this?
The elves and sing-a-longs are no threat.

I'm not a Christian myself so really don't know much about the history behind Christmas - I know there are various theories questioning whether it really is the birthday of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and whether it has in some way incorporated pre-Christian traditions, but I do think that even if other stories are being devised, the main story, the main reason why 25th December is regarded as special, should be remembered and taught to Children. I think it will be very sad if that is lost to the next generation.

Isn't it when Father Christmas was born?