Christmas here seems to be treated as some kind of present giving holiday without basis in religion or tradition. As The Sun says today 'Save Christmas'. Poor Dylan will never get to wear a crown and be one of 3 kings, or a Shepherd with a hanky on his head, as we don't have Nativity plays at school here because it's just not PC. Well screw PC. Christmas is the time of year that we celebrate the birth of Jesus. It's a religious holiday. If you're not religious, at least show it some courtesy and if you're a Christan country LIKE CANADA IS then uphold the traditions which matter before they're lost forever.
Posted by katie at December 9, 2004 02:53 PMAnd there was me thinking Christmas was just the Christian church's attempt to absorb the pagan Saturnalia festival.
http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/holidays/christmas/real.html
Perhaps we should be encouraging schools to engage in Wiccan winter-solstice ceremonies, or would that be a little _too_ traditional?
Posted by: Jon at December 9, 2004 04:36 PMAmen to that Kaite!
Xander is pissed off beacuse he is not a star in the school play - oh and there are 20 shepherds and loads of 'stats' It wil be like the lobster scene in 'Love actually'!!
Posted by: boo at December 9, 2004 05:07 PM'stats' = 'stars' btw
Posted by: boo at December 9, 2004 05:09 PMJon,
It's not just Xmas that they "stole" (wonder if that makes the Church = The Grinch? Anyway I digress) there are all sorts of interesting "christian" festivals like St John's which basically involves lighting a large bonfire near the winter solstice in order to welcome the sun back... good huh.
And if we're talking about traditional then Santa Claus wears Green (the Red Suit was introduced by Coca Cola as part of an advertising campaign in the 19th Century)...
but I enjoy singing carols, putting up decorations and receiving loot as much as the next person :)
Posted by: Aka at December 10, 2004 12:07 PMI have just got home from my class's nativity. A very stressful time for teachers. Sainbury's ran out of check tea towels, Mary fell asleep in the manger and the angel dropped the baby Jesus on his head. Joseph howld his eyes out until he was carried away..... all in all another successful year my fifth nativity production......not bad for a Jewish girl eh
Posted by: Laura at December 10, 2004 12:15 PMWell, technically, Canada is not a Christian country. Unlike some countries, we have no official state religion. Freedom of religion is among the first freedoms mentioned in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Charter also says we are to be free of discrimination due to religion. If we were a Christian nation, that would imply that Canadians of any other religion were somehow second-class citizens, which would be contrary to the Charter.
Still, even though I'm not at all religious, I don't like the politically-correct approach of attempting to remove any trace of religion from Christmas. Banning any notion of Christmas being a religious holiday is stupid. Regardless of whether Jesus actually was born on the 25th of December, or whether this or any other Christian holiday was borrowed from a pre-Christian festival of some sort, Christmas is a religious holiday.
The Charter guarantees us freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion, and I think the best way to be tolerant of other people's religions is to allow them, not to try to suppress any public display of them. Go ahead and celebrate the holidays of the religion of your choice. It doesn't bother me; it shouldn't bother anyone.
Posted by: Steve at December 10, 2004 02:08 PMBut Canada = owned by UK, ergo it *is* a Christian country!
Bring back the tea toweled heads in nativity plays!
Posted by: katie at December 10, 2004 04:24 PMNaw, we're not owned by the UK - just by Her Majesty :-)
Posted by: Steve at December 11, 2004 08:18 PMSteve, you mean the head of the Church of England? Or am i being a bit dim pointing out the obvious? Going to bed now.
Posted by: boo at December 12, 2004 05:53 PMhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/religion/Story/0,2763,1373275,00.html
Posted by: blah blah blah at December 14, 2004 11:32 AMReligion lost out to big box stores like Wal-Mart, Best-Buy ect...It's not even Christmas anymore but X-mas. Anything to take away the true meaning and make it the big commercial mess it is today. Everyone of us is to blame. My own kids don't know the stories that we were taught in schools, church and home. Of course when I was thier age teachers, church leaders, and parents not only earned my respect but also gave it. Sadly not so today.
Posted by: alex at December 20, 2004 09:59 PM