Since it is Christmas, should we only have the traditional Christmas lights.

[anotheoldgit]

http://tinyurl.com/32dv5hs

/// Just yesterday, Communties Secretary Eric Pickles called on local councils to mark Christmas with traditional lights, carol services and nativity scenes, saying: ‘We should actively celebrate the Christian basis of Christmas, and not allow politically correct Grinches to marginalise Christmas and the importance of the the birth of Christ.’///

/// Conservative MP Philip Davies also sees the changing face of festive lights as an attack on Christian traditions. He said: ‘Local authorities are obsessed with not offending anyone. It’s ridiculous that Christianity is being sidelined .

‘All this pussyfooting around is done in the name of not offending people from other faiths. But it tends to be done by white middle-class people with some kind of bizarre guilt complex.’///

Agree or not?

[boxtops]

We have traditional Christmas lights here. I see no problem in it. I have friends of other faiths who like to see them, and although not believing the relgious aspects, they enjoy the feelings of goodwill and celebrations of the Christmas holidays. I agree with Philip Davies. Good post, AOG.

[steg]

times have changed, for the good or bad, makes no odds, but christmas in most areas is just commercial jobbies now. It is however still pretty much a religious festival in the north and west of Scotland where religion is still taken very serious and is still part of daily life and you could be the next wicker man just for working on the sabbath

[madmaggot]

Erm, it's not christmas; its NOVEMBER!

[anotheoldgit]

madmaggot

Please don't be so perverse, you know perfectly well what I mean.

Or would you have rather me wait until Christmas Day before I posted my question?

[Gromit]

It is a pagan festival anyway, just it was hijacked by the Christians, so if the hindus and muslims also hijack it, the Christians aren't in much of a position to complain.

Maybe local councils should not fund this at all from local taxpayers? If the Christians want lights up, then the can collect on a sunday and pay for it. Likewise the other faiths. Then all us who do not go to church, will not see our money literally burning away.

[anotheoldgit]

/// It is a pagan festival anyway, just it was hijacked by the Christians, so if the hindus and muslims also hijack it, the Christians aren't in much of a position to complain.///

Now I wonder what that looked like pagan festival lights around Stonehenge?

Your money is not literally burning away, don't you realise that local traders pay most of the cost, and what the councils pay, is returned in the general rise in the Town/Cities economy, due to the increase sales.

[karenmac60]

What do 'non-traditional' Christmas lights look like? I don't think I've ever seen any....

[NazNomad]

... and why do they need to be on all day?

[anotheoldgit]

karenmac60

/// What do 'non-traditional' Christmas lights look like? I don't think I've ever seen any ///

A prime example here.

http://i.dailymail.co...005DC-368_634x415.jpg

[pastafreak]

We are not having a Christmas festival down here.Instead it is a Winter Festival,which started in November. The intention being to celebrate all the events-including Christmas-that take place between now and January. Some are up in arms over it. I see no problem,as doing it this way includes everyone.

[Gromit]

Your question was about Council lights, not privately funded ones. They ARE funded by council taxpayers. In fact many councils are considering scaling them back altogether to save the vadt amounts of money that is wasted on them.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-11766990

[anotheoldgit]

Oh! dear Gromit, it is worse than I expected, something else we must put down to New Labours spend, spend, spend attitude.

Soon be like Stalin's Moscow, It was more like Christmas during WW2 than it is today.

[NazNomad]

Really, when was his birthday then?

[boxtops]

Some reckon it was April.

[NazNomad]

People ''commemorate'' it on Dec 25th, even though they have no idea when it was, lol.

Hmmm. odd lot.

[society]

I know of people who keep their Christmas lights and decorations up throughout the year.

[karenmac60]

Nope, never seen any like that.