Christmas no more..

[Gob]

Ripped off from a local website...

A good friend of mine is ranting furiously this evening about her department’s decision to name their Christmas party the ‘End of Year Event’, thereby removing any reference to Christmas. A few inquiries about this today turned up a curious bit of information that the re-naming is due to a number of complaints from a few people who didn’t feel welcome to attend as they don’t celebrate Christmas. As a result, the whole party will now be non-denominational.

While urban legends on such issues abound, these are mainly centred on similar decisions in the US or UK. This is the first time I’ve heard such a story in Australia, let alone Canberra. Personally, I’m torn on the issue. While I love multiculturalism and the positive benefits it has brought us, I also believe that those who come here and enjoy all we have to share should accept us for who we are… customs, holidays, yeast based food products and all.

While a large part of me feels like emulating William Wallace by throwing on a kilt, painting half of my face blue and joining an anti-PC horde shouting “they may take my fireworks, but they will not take my Christmas!”, another part of me thinks maybe we should just suck it up.

So, dear Rioters, is this turning our back on ‘Christmas’ a fair thing or simply PC gone mad? Should we adjust our holidays to suit the views of those in the minority or should we be more inclusive?

I await your thoughts.

And I await yours.....

[Sean]

As soon as Divali is made non-denominational so everybody feels that they can take part they should consider this. I'm not religious myself (nor am I the biggest fan ever of the whole Christmas thing...) but don't see the need to change things to be PC. In fact it should be made back into a pagan festival and bugger the PC Christian crowd!

[dales]

Christmas is a pagan holiday.

ETA: Celebrate the Winter Soltise, instead.

[thestoat]

I do believe it is a load of PC crap to change Christmas to Winterval or End of Year Fest or whatever. The Muslims et al aren't so accommodating when we travel to and live in their countries. It's our tradition - anyone who doesn't like it can always leave.

Of course, we all know Christmas was nicked from/superimposed on older religions' festivals (all of us except lo, of course). So there could be an argument to revert back to those. The problem is that America and Oz (and others) are just too new to have developed their own traditions - I don't think it is well documented what the indigenous populations of those countries used to celebrate before being taken over.

Anyway, how far back should you go? In the UK we have had Christmas for over 1000 years - I think it fair that after a period like that it could be considered *the* standard. Otherwise, if you can go back further in time, I want a chat with Rome about their making war reparations for their invasion of England! And I want a good stiff talk to the Danes, Saxons and Normans (who I think were Dutch at the time?)

[rubato]

I don't believe the article is suggesting that all references to, and observances of, Christmas be changed only that some events around that time of year be re-framed so that everyone feels welcomed.

A fairly mild and reasonable idea.



yrs,
rubato

[loCAtek]

Who's not welcomed to Christmas parties? Particularly office ones?

Conversely, I've been invited to a few (end of) Ramadan parties, Hanuka festivals, and Chinese New Year parties/parades, etc. I don't recall anyone being turned away from these joyous occasions of universal brotherhood.

[BoSoxGal]

'End of year' party is unnecessarily bland - New Year's is a holiday; I've worked for several offices that called it a 'holiday' party to encompass all traditions. Seems reasonable to me.

[dales]

No More Christmas Parties For Him!

[Scooter]

Looks like he left some balls hanging from his tree.

[loCAtek]

...an' jingling all the way!