Winter fest????

[mitsy]

I heard off someone the other day that their local council was thinking about changing the name of christmas to the winter fest so that the asian community could join in - does anyone else agree with this or heard about it? Not sure if the person was joking

[ludwig]

To expand on my previous point, A sikh or muslim would have a fair point if they said to the council 'what's all this about christmas lights? you're supposed to be a non-religiously aligned organisation that represents us all without fear or favour. Why should my tax money go to funding another religions festivities? - either fund us equally or cancel the christmas lights - especially as more people in this town regularly attend mosque than they do church'.
So, it's purely a pragmatic approach to pre-empt (or in response to) that kind of comment to ensure the continuity of the 'festive' lights. They're perhaps not the naive tree-hugging buffoons they appear to be.

(sp1814 - Madonnaday? Frankly I find that offensive)

[sp1814]

Ludwig

Okay - Kylieday...surely that doesn't offend anyone?

Seriously though - you make a good point with your posting, and I think that's what I was trying to say. When you think about it, councils shouldn't spend a single penny on religious festivals, because it's not in their remit to favour one religion over another. They should be focussed on potholes, street cleaning, rubbish collection etc.

And when you take it to it's logical conclusion, Winterfest makes perfect sense because reindeer, Santa and 'Christmas' trees have no Christian significance whatsoever, mainly because the whole affair has been secularized (I know that's not a real word) over the past few decades.

One last thing Ludwig - I'll wager you have a Madonna CD somewhere in your collection.

[ludwig]

sp, sorry you're wrong - I won't have a Madonna CD in my house - but I will defend to the death your right to own one! Free country and all that ;-)

[jenstar]

I think it's disgraceful, the Christians butting in and renaming Yuletide "Christmas", like it was their idea. Down with the loony Christians! Up with Yuletide!

[colenso]

Can't believe this load of tripe....

Christmas is just the Church placing one festival over a pagan festival..who the hell knows JC was born 25th December?????

"Celebrate Christmas"...yeah - a time to get ****** and have a laugh... oh and get presents, too..

"Ramadan - diet week" - no wonder Muslims laugh at us or get offended when we can't even get their festivals right - it'a a calendar month, you dummy!

And what % of the caucasian, true-brit population celebrate "Christmas" for what is it supposed to be????? 5% if you're lucky...

So do me a favour and stop bloody whingeing.....

[Goodsoulette]

My bad... but as stated I obviously was not mocking their faith I was mocking the council leaders for their ludicrous suggestion. I can whinge all I like as I celebrate christmas for its true meaning.

and also wtf has caucasian got to do with being a truebrit christian?

[Stu in USA]

What colenso is saying, amongst other things, is that the Christain Church stole the mid-winter pagan festival and decided that we should all celebrate the birth of Jesus, who was very unlikely born at that time of year, what with lambs being around!! Council leaders might be on to something.

[ludwig]

'Christians stole the midwinter yule festival' - yawn - yeah we all know that. But steal it they did, and rightly or wrongly they now own it and have done for a few hundred years.
What p*is*es people off is the thought that foolish white twits living in some local government pc bubble should want to deny the christian element of it exists. Not because they're pagans wanting to reclaim their festival, but because of misguided notions about offending other religions and making the world a better place.

[Goodsoulette]

yeah, yeah bored of hearing it now but if he had bothered to read the whole thread he would have seen that I stated that earlier.

At the end of the day the religion that is representative of this country is the chuch of england, so if my streets look a little brighter during the dark winter months because money goes on Christmas lights great. If they did it for everything it would be a treat to have it taken down.

I am sure there are plenty of Christians living in nonchristian countries that dont have people whinging on their behalf about the costs of the festivities that they feel "supposedly" left out of.

[ludwig]

I think colenso works in local government and a raw nerve has been touched.