[Newsbot]

Title: Christmas 2011: Ontario school replaces holiday concert with non-denominational February fest | News | National Post
Category: Strange
Posted By: saturn_656
Date: 2011-12-02 07:42:33
Canadian

[saturn_656]

And the war on Christmas continues.

[HaRdLy]

unFUCKINGbelievable..

When is this bullshit going to stop?

[Dragon-Dancer]

This seems perfectly fair. It's a public school not a catholic school so there is no expectation of christian celebration. This winter fest alternative even seems like a better idea overall.

[bootlegga]

In some ways, it makes sense, as it is more inclusive than just a Christmas concert would be. Still, their 'fest' should be in December - that way it hits at least three major holidays: Christmas, Chanukah and Kwanza.

[saturn_656]

bootlegga bootlegga:

In some ways, it makes sense, as it is more inclusive than just a Christmas concert would be. Still, their 'fest' should be in December - that way it hits at least three major holidays: Christmas, Chanukah and Kwanza.

Don't tell me you've bought into this, sure I'd expect it from Dragon-Dancer, but you...

[PublicAnimalNo9]

It ain't going to. It's even showing up in advertising. Koodo has one with the little wrestler guy looking for a "holiday" tree. What the HELL is a holiday tree?? And how come I only hear about these holiday trees around Christmastime, but never during any other holiday? Have I been missing out on decorating a holiday tree for the May 24 weekend?

I bet those people won't be getting anything from Santa in their "non-denominational winter holiday" stockings this Christmas.

Uh oh, I just had a bad thought. Pretty soon the "Holiday" tree will be verboten in public spaces because it's shaped too much like a church steeple or some such utter crap.
What really pisses me off is, they can still easily sing songs like Jingle Bells, or Frosty the Snowman or any number of popular, non-religious based Christmas-time songs.
But nooooo, we have to make sure anything with the name "Christ" attached to it is scrupulously avoided lest some uppity-fuck gets sand in their crotch over it.

[bootlegga]

saturn_656 saturn_656:

bootlegga bootlegga:

In some ways, it makes sense, as it is more inclusive than just a Christmas concert would be. Still, their 'fest' should be in December - that way it hits at least three major holidays: Christmas, Chanukah and Kwanza.

Don't tell me you've bought into this, sure I'd expect it from Dragon-Dancer, but you...

I used to see it the way most of you do, but the years have changed my POV. Like it or not, Canada isn't just made up of the English and French anymore. There are Canadians from all sorts of cultures and while I agree that they should do what they can to fit in, we should also do what we can to make them feel comfortable. IMHO, it's a two way street - not my way or the highway.

Of course, IMO, their 'fest' should have a Christmas part, a Chanukah part and maybe a Kwanza part.

[andyt]

bootlegga bootlegga:

I used to see it the way most of you do, but the years have changed my POV. Like it or not, Canada isn't just made up of the English and French anymore. There are Canadians from all sorts of cultures and while I agree that they should do what they can to fit in, we should also do what we can to make them feel comfortable. IMHO, it's a two way street - not my way or the highway.

Of course, IMO, their 'fest' should have a Christmas part, a Chanukah part and maybe a Kwanza part.

So something for Christians, Jews and ???(Don't know what religion Kwanza is, sorry)? What about all the Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Wiccans, Jehovah's Witnesses, Rastafarians, Zoroastrians, Manichians, Animists, Native Spritiualitists, New Agers, Bahais..........................

You have a ponit - celebrating Christmas is pushing our heritage down the throats of all those newcomers who don't share in it. We also push English/French down their throats, when we should be much more accomodating. Serious proposals have been made (serious in the sense the Vancouver Sun published them) that Punjabi and Mandarin should be made official languages. And of course all he various "first" languages that are spoken around the country.

[raydan]

saturn_656 saturn_656:

bootlegga bootlegga:

In some ways, it makes sense, as it is more inclusive than just a Christmas concert would be. Still, their 'fest' should be in December - that way it hits at least three major holidays: Christmas, Chanukah and Kwanza.

Don't tell me you've bought into this, sure I'd expect it from Dragon-Dancer, but you...

It's maybe because when we have a story about Muslims using a school for religious purposes, we use the argument that religion has no place in the school. Then when stories like this come along, well... we kinda forget what we've said before.

Maybe the churches could organize the Christmas concert with the kids. Get the parents involved too. God knows, (pun intended) they need to do something to get people back to church.

[stokes]

raydan raydan:

It's maybe because when we have a story about Muslims using a school for religious purposes, we use the argument that religion has no place in the school. Then when stories like this come along, well... we kinda forget what we've said before.

Maybe the churches could organize the Christmas concert with the kids. Get the parents involved too. God knows, (pun intended) they need to do something to get people back to church.

Could not have said it better myself..

[bootlegga]

andyt andyt:

bootlegga bootlegga:

I used to see it the way most of you do, but the years have changed my POV. Like it or not, Canada isn't just made up of the English and French anymore. There are Canadians from all sorts of cultures and while I agree that they should do what they can to fit in, we should also do what we can to make them feel comfortable. IMHO, it's a two way street - not my way or the highway.

Of course, IMO, their 'fest' should have a Christmas part, a Chanukah part and maybe a Kwanza part.

So something for Christians, Jews and ???(Don't know what religion Kwanza is, sorry)? What about all the Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Wiccans, Jehovah's Witnesses, Rastafarians, Zoroastrians, Manichians, Animists, Native Spritiualitists, New Agers, Bahais..........................

You have a ponit - celebrating Christmas is pushing our heritage down the throats of all those newcomers who don't share in it. We also push English/French down their throats, when we should be much more accomodating. Serious proposals have been made (serious in the sense the Vancouver Sun published them) that Punjabi and Mandarin should be made official languages. And of course all he various "first" languages that are spoken around the country.

There's a big difference between not having a Christmas concert and changing our official languages...not that I'd expect you to realize that though.

[andyt]

Good point. Except Christmas has gone way beyond religion. Many people celebrate it in the sense of giving presents, partying etc who are not Christians. I know Muslims and Hindus who get Christmas trees - their kids demand it. The overt pushing of the Christian part, I am against. Hence in the US the banning of creches on public property, but not Christmas trees AFAIK. I guess that's the point of calling it holidays, rather than Christams, but it seems sad to me that we're losing all our traditions, giving ourselves away to accomodate the whole world. And I'm not Christian in any conventional sense.

[Dragon-Dancer]

bootlegga bootlegga:

In some ways, it makes sense, as it is more inclusive than just a Christmas concert would be. Still, their 'fest' should be in December - that way it hits at least three major holidays: Christmas, Chanukah and Kwanza.

Moving it makes good scene too actually, now that you point that out. December is already such a busy month what with all those holidays.

[andyt]

How about Easter? Shouldn't we be completely banning it? When I was in the US, and asked if I got Easter off, they looked at me scornfully and said that they were a secular country. (Guess Christmas didn't register with them, since we did get that off.) So would be call Christmas Holiday 1 and easter holiday 2? Or how about calling Christmas Multikulti Day, and Easter "All Cultures are inherently equal day"?