City in England Cancels Christmas in Favor of Potter Holiday.

Catholic World News ^ | 11/5/01

[marshmallow]

LONDON, Nov 5, 01 (CWNews.com) - Residents of Luton, England, will not be able to celebrate Christmas this year. Instead, the town's official ceremonies will be re-branded "Luminos," a word taken from the wildly popular line of Harry Potter books.

In it's attempts to be all-inclusive, the town on the outskirts of London has been accused of "politically correct paranoia" by both Christian and Muslim groups. Iain Bainbridge, a spokesman for the Christian Institute, described the approach as a "ridiculous overreaction."

"It is not so much an agenda of sensitivity to other faiths as a secular agenda," he told The Times. "In areas where you have large numbers of a certain ethnic group it is quite normal for specifically religious celebrations to be accepted."

He continued, "It is political correctness gone mad. In a country with a strong Christian heritage and a predominantly Christian constitution it is crazy not to have this manifest at Christmas. We are renowned as a country of religious tolerance but it now appears as if the Christian faith is respected the least."

Akhbar Dad Khan, the former general secretary of Luton's Islamic Cultural Society and an interfaith spokesman for the Islamic community, said the Christian complaint was entirely understandable. "All people from all faiths recognize and appreciate each other," he said. "We do live in a predominantly Christian society and people from other faiths have accepted that. Each faith has its own characteristics and the celebration of any particular faith would not offend anyone else. We are all grown up."

Luton is the latest British town to come under fire for changing the name of Christmas. Glasgow's festivities have been renamed "Shine On" and, more recently "Winter Festival." Birmingham has used the term "Winterval" and Sheffield no longer has Christmas illuminations but has changed to "city lights."

[Ward Smythe]

The pronunciation guide says of this being "He who must not be named."

So not saying someone's name mean's he's the devil? There are Freepers who refuse to type the name Bill Clinton and use X42 or "Impeached Rapist" rather than write his name. Oh wait, maybe you do have a point...

Seriously though, don't forget that traditionally the Jews did not (do not?) say the name of the LORD.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Ouch! Such wit.

No, make that Nitwit.

[WyldKard]

Yeah, the only problem is that Christmas is a made up holiday too...

Yeah, I know, Christ was really born in the springtime, and his birthday was moved to the 25th of December to deal a competative double blow to both the Solstice worshipers and the Mithradatans (sp?) but....

Christmas has a long cultural history as well. To me, it seems to have become sort of a defacto "fellowship" holiday, even if you don't subscribe to the religion behind it. It seems cheesy to toss out years of cultural and religious tradition COMPLETELY in favor of some "Johnny-Come-Lately" holiday with no real substance behind it just to please some touchy feely thought-police people.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Read the article again. Even the title states the town's intention to "cancel Christmas" in favor of a secular, all-encompassing, non-Christian holiday.

The point is when the collective city fathers abandon the religious significance of Christmas, the sheeple are not far behind.

I live in a town that's done just that. All Christmas and Hanukkah decorations were discarded. In their place, beginning every December 1, are colorful flags drapped from street lights, displaying abstract pictures of two women holding hands, bleeding chickens, guns exploding into little red hearts, a suicide note, and for us Christians, Santa Claus in pink underwear.

Complaints to City Hall are met with smug smirks.

[maestro]

England must really hate God's 'TORAH'(the Bible). Isn't THAT what all the 'fuss' is REALLY ABOUT!!??

[culpeper]

The parents should say " Oh well no toys this year they cancelled Christmas". Then see how the kids like Harry Potter.

[tonycavanagh]

re : Read the article again. Even the title states the town's intention to "cancel Christmas" in favor of a secular, all-encompassing, non-Christian holiday.

No they don’t the title is wrong, allow a simple man who just happens to live down the road from Luton Town, state what is happening.

In towns and cities all over Britain we have a tradition of getting a local celebrity to come along and turn on the Christmas lights (fairy lights), Luton for reasons known only to them self’s decided it would be good to call the festival, or the fairy turn on Luminous.

There are still Christmas decorations aplenty Father Christmas as far as the eye can see and even a few cavity scenes here and there.

And after the fuss generated by this, telephone calls and letters, next year it will be called The Great Christmas Light Turn on again.

Can I just point out something else I love this sheeple expression but to my practiced eye, I have seen sheep and mobs in Africa, North Ireland and Bosnia, most reactions on this site were sheeple, a complete miss of the facts followed by conclusions based more on own world views, paranoia and prejudices very sheeple behaviour.

So Cheers and may I even venture a baah Tony

[tonycavanagh]

re : It seems cheesy to toss out years of cultural and religious tradition COMPLETELY in favor of some "Johnny-Come-Lately" holiday with no real substance behind it just to please some touchy feely thought-police people.

If that were true it would be dammed annoying but since all they did was rename the light turning on festival, everything is ok. Luminous is the name given to turning on the Christmas fairy lights in the main high street, not Christmas itself

Tony

[alpowolf]

Read the article again. Even the title states the town's intention to "cancel Christmas" in favor of a secular, all-encompassing, non-Christian holiday

I did read it, and I'm telling ya: if dedicated Christians want to celebrate Christian holidays, they're free to do so and no one can stop them. No town has the power to cancel Christmas. I didn't see anywhere in the article where the town constabulary was arresting people for going to church.

The point is when the collective city fathers abandon the religious significance of Christmas, the sheeple are not far behind

I kind of suspected that this was where you were going with this: you don't appear to believe that it's enough to have religious freedom. You want govt to push your faith, because you don't believe the people are faithful enough unless they're pushed. I think if they have to be "encouraged" by govt they're not very faithful anyway.

Like it or not, in a free society your ideas will have to compete with others.

[WyldKard]

If that were true it would be dammed annoying but since all they did was rename the light turning on festival, everything is ok. Luminous is the name given to turning on the Christmas fairy lights in the main high street, not Christmas itself

Ah..right...well then, I stand corrected. Thanks. :)

[tonycavanagh]

Oh thanks take the wind out of my sail and kick my high horse out from under me.

Your welcome cheers Tony

[rdb3]

In a basement in Cleveland? Nah. More like one in Katy, Texas.

[Jeremiah Jr]

Daniel 12:4 "But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge [da'at] shall increase."

The knowledge of G-d is exploding today! Many know that December 25 has nothing to do with the birth of Yeshua [Jesus]. But Kislev 25 is another matter!

Chanukah [Festival of Lights] is an 8 day festival. So is Succoth, [Tabernacles]. They also happen to be 9 months apart.

Conception / Birth

Isaiah 9:2 The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.
Leviticus 24:1, 2 Shadow of Chanukah

Genesis 33:17 And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.

Where was Yeshua born?

Gee! There's lots more but this should get you started. So is it such a tragedy that December 25th is going back to it's pagan roots?

I think not!
Revelation 18:4!

Happy Chanukah!

[cake_crumb]

If someone wants to draw a conclusion badly enough, they will interpret whatever it is they want to draw a conclusion on, no matter what.

If I wanted to draw the conclusion that J.R.R. Tolkein was into witchcraft, I could use Gandalf's use of runes and magic, the Elves' use of magic, note the word "Christmas" isn't mentioned once - though "Yuletide" is mentioned once - then just run with it from there.

I could do the same with R.A. Salvatore - those Dark Elves have really sinister habits, and he refers to "other planes of existence". I could do the same with Robert Jordan, who also describes other planes of existence - don't get me started on those Aes Sedi - and others.

Potential flamers - I'm a fan of all three authors, so I wouldn't. I was making a comparison. I've never read Harry Potter, but as soon as I find one of his books you can be sure that I'll read it. The obsession with the man sounds like an old fashioned witch hunt.

The real issue here is NOT Harry Potter books. The issue is about political correctness gone wild, whether the story is a lampoon or the truth. Personally, I'll wait for independent confirmation. Any UK FReepers out there have relatives in those towns?

[Dan Day]

Why don't you just throw the Bible on the bonfire and get it over with, since it forbids having anything to do with witchcraft.

So... The Wizard of Oz is banned in your house?

Hint: The Bible forbids murder, too, but I don't think it's a sin to read murder mysteries or watch "Murder She Wrote".

Bigger hint: Just as reading/watching fiction about murders does not violate "Thou shalt not kill", reading a fantasy novel about people who do magic isn't the same thing as practicing witchcraft.

[Nate505]

Ouch! Such wit.

No, make that Nitwit.

Hahaha...I do like that one.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

I think the facts are plenty clear. Interpret them however you wish.

What's a "cavity scene"?