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]

I've just looked at another chat site where it's suggested that it doesn't matter when it was, it's the fact of the birth which we now celebrate on Dec 25. Seems reasonable to me.

[askyourgran]

It is our age old traditions that are being put to question. All Christian countries celebrate December 25 as Christmas Day ,and now we are being "obliged" to dumb it down. I stll maintain that anyone who comes to live here should accept our traditions, in spite of their own. If they cannot get along with living in a Christian country they should leave. I notice that our little market towns' Christmas lights are lit up by our Church with Mary and Joseph the church and star tableux all grouped around the church vicinity. Elsewhere we have candles baubles snowmen etc all the way down the high street. Only where the churches are do we have religious scenes and lights.

[chinadog]

I cant stand the Disney carachters (SP) in peoples windows and gardens. What the heck have they got to do with the birth of Christ?

[jno]

for heaven's sake, a cabinet minister is telling councils what lights to put up???

Sheesh, and I thought Labour were control freaks.

[jake-the-peg]

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

probably much like Christmas lights wrapped around a stable in Bethlehem.

Do you think the baby Jesus pricked his bum on that Holly whilt Mary kissed Joseph under thi mistletoe waiting for father Christmas to come down the chimney?

[Ric.ror]

I went to an Advent Carol servie at Leeds Cathedral with Gregorian Chants readings and a full choir - Brilliant - we catholics do it so well xxx

[trt]

So do Protestants!!!

[cc1]

Not only do many people not know when to commemmorate it, the majority have no idea what's being commemmorated.
My class were amazed that I went to church on Chtistmas Eve, and whatsmore, I was sober! Because it was Christmas, getting blathered was thought to bo obligatory.

[sp1814]

Like the majority of non-church-going Britons...I couldn't give a flying fig.

Christmas for me is tinsel, a tree, getting drunk, opening expensive gifts, watching Christmas specials, partying - then flying off for a beach holiday in the New Year to detox.

The Christian element is literally irrelevant to me.

[anotheoldgit]

Forever the heathen eh! sp?

But do I assume a few un-truths here?

/// Christmas for me is tinsel, a tree, getting drunk, opening expensive gifts, watching Christmas specials, partying - then flying off for a beach holiday in the New Year to detox.///

More like, "getting drunk", "Looking inside the Christmas Crackers for cheap Chinese made trinkets", "Watching Christmas Repeats", "Going along to any party, if anyone invites you", If they don't, then followed by "Walking and Kicking the pebbles at the same time, on Brighton's Beach".