Talking of Christmas

Is my belief that religious Christmas is a thing of the past, and that this fact doesn't particulary bother the British people, an over-exaggeration? Perhaps:

The vast majority of Britons oppose moves to secularise Christmas, according to a new poll.

The survey found that 80% believe celebrating the birth of Christ remains an important part of the festival.

The study follows a string of high-profile media reports of apparent attempts to rebrand Christmas on secular lines as a "winter" celebration.

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, is among those who have attacked what he called "Wintervalitis" - a reference to the decision eight years ago by Birmingham City Council to rename Christmas "Winterval".

Recent controversies include a school which took turkey off its festive menu in favour of halal chicken and a council which chose not to use the word Christmas on its cards, opting for "Season's Greetings".

But, I wouldn't get too excited yet, the generation to come are the the real worry.

Yet another poser

I have a very large problem with our modern Christmas tradition. We all know that since Victorian times Christmas cards have been exchanged between family and friends. That's fine, I have no problem whatsoever with it. Although having to send cards to people you haven't spoken to for twenty years merely because they send you one, seems like a bit of a tyranny. But, hey, I suppose that there's nothing wrong with a bit of courtesy.

The problem I have is with the cards themselves. Firstly, there is nowhere near the same amount of cards bearing any religious scene. In the modern secular world I suppose that's to be expected. But would it really be such a stretch to endow the card's scene with the star of Bethlehem? A small gesture, true, but one that would at least retain some sense of the religious aspect of Christmas in the minds of the people who receive the cards.

Of course, when entering into a discussion on the nature of Christmas cards, it's easy to forget that even the Victorians would have sent cards with traditional scenes, rather than religious ones. Father Christmas with his reindeer, children bedecking Christmas trees, a family gathered around a log fire or a chocolate box village decorated for festivities. All conjure up the ideal of Christmas, and are a wonderful addition to the main room over the Christmas period. Without them, Christmas is all the poorer. So, I can't grumble about them.

What's annoyed me is an addition to the pantheon of cards sent over the Christmas period, in the last decade. The 'seasons greetings' card. Ninety per cent of these cards have some sort of link to Christmas, either on the outside, or inside within the message. But there are some which have a silly decoration type of display, and these don't even mention the word Christmas in them. You could even say they daren't mention the word.

The motives of the card companies who produce this guff is something I have been pondering. I suppose card companies are trying to be 'trendy' or 'inclusive', imbecility is a more appropriate word. If somebody, heaven forbid, sends me one of these type of cards, what I am I supposed to do? Are they trying to celebrate the winter season? If so, perhaps I should send them a 'spring greetings' card on the Ides of March. Surely, if people have actually bothered to send out cards at this time of year, they must have some sort of feelings towards Christmas. If that is the case, then they must realise that their cards are part of a cultural shift away from the traditions and Christian links of Christmas.

Looking at it perspectively, at the moment this is only relevant to a small minority of cards. Most of the ones recieved by our family have the words Merry Christmas emblazoned in the middle. Some even have the nativity scene. the rest have some sort of a recognisable Christmas scene. But, lest we forget, the decline of religious Christmas was quick, and now it plays a small part in the festival. The decline of cultural Christmas, the one involving family and community, is now going on around us. And the best way to defend the traditional Christmas is a card. A card which says Merry Christmas, and shows a happy family in all its glory. Let's keep the tradition alive.


Over the weekend, I'll be in the south-west, for a family wedding. So no more postings for a bit.

Christmas Message

Channel Four, purveyor of smut and reality TV garbage like Big Brother, has excelled itself again in the moronic stakes. It will broadcast a message by a Muslim woman, in full niqab, as its 'alternative Christmas message'.

Channel 4 is to reignite controversy over the wearing of the veil - by featuring a Muslim woman in full niqab giving the broadcaster's alternative Christmas message.

The woman, today named only as Khadija and said to be a lecturer in Islamic studies, will go head-to-head with the Queen when she gives her annual speech to the nation on 25 December.

Producers are said to have "discovered" her after a month-long search for a suitable candidate.

I have so many questions arising just from reading this article, my head is almost throbbing. The obvious one is why are Channel Four doing such a crass thing? Well, any channel who has a plan for something called 'masturbation week', is obviously a lover of cheap publicity and controversy - with little regard for quality progamming. And, insulting Christianity is par for the course for our public broadcasters.

But there are also some questions about the mysterious Khadija. Where did they 'discover' her? And, why have they only given her forename (if that is even her real name) to the public? Without this knoweledge I am left to ponder whether 'Khadija', has any links to extremists. It wouldn't surprise me if she is simply a mouthpiece for an extremist Islamic organisation like Hizb-ut-tahir, or The Respect Party. If that turns out to be the truth, then make no mistake about it, the insult will be magnified many, many times.