"It's PC gone mad!" Lambeth's Christmas Lights renamed "Winter Lights"

[editor]

Lots of people shouting about "political correctness gone mad" on the dire Vanessa show at the news that Lambeth (apparently) has decided to rename the traditional Christmas Lights as "Winter Lights."

Aparently, they might even be called the "Celebrity Lights" - I'll force myself to listen to the rest of her show to get the full story.

 

[editor]

Oh dear. It looks like it's true:

Council takes Christ out of Christmas

THE festive season is not yet upon us, but Christmas has already been banned from some seasonal light displays.

The latest local authority to take the Christ out of Christmas is Lambeth in South London, where bureaucrats in all but one district are making sure their seasonal lights are bereft of any connotation of Christianity. Instead, council officials have used the words “Winter Lights” and “Celebrity Lights”.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1853819,00.html

And:

Do they know it's not Christmas any more?

Lambeth council officers have invited borough residents to the seasonal switch on of "Winter Lights" and even "Celebrity Lights" - but have omitted the word Christmas from promotional literature.

Outspoken Clapham Town ward Conservative Councillor Bernard Gentry has blasted the move, which he has described as "political correctness gone mad."

The councillor said: "This is just another example of council officers overstating political correctness.

"The is no mention at all of Christmas in promotional literature for the light switch-on.

"People respect and enjoy each others' religion and customs.

"But we should not be in a position where we are too scared to acknowledge the Christian festival of Christmas in the same way as we mark the Hindu festival of Diwali, the Muslim month of Ramadan and the Jewish Yom Kippur."
http://icsouthlondon.icnetwork.co.u...w-it-s-not-christmas-any-more--name_page.html

 

[untethered]

Cue angry protests from Christian Voice and suchlike.

*sigh*

 

[aurora green]

I dont know about anyone else, but I find the term 'celebrity lights' totally offensive.
Celebrity???? Why not go the whole hog and just call them the consumerist lights?

 

[editor]

"Celebrity Lights" is the absolute fucking pits.

Who dreams up this shit?

 

[KeyboardJockey]

Bleeding Xtians stole a pagan festival anyway - can't see what the fuss is about. The Daily Express is having a field day though

 

[untethered]

The people you didn't elect, presumably.

 

[untethered]

Bleeding Xtians stole a pagan festival anyway

I don't recall a pagan festival that celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ.

 

[netbob]

"Celebrity Lights" is the absolute fucking pits.

I'm itching to see who the celebs are goign to be.

 

[editor]

I'm itching to see who the celebs are goign to be.

Call me old fashioned if you will, but I'd like them to be called "Christmas Lights", for them to be free of any advertising and sponsorship (remember last year's horrors in Oxford Street?!) and for them to be turned on in December.

 

[KeyboardJockey]

I don't recall a pagan festival that celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ.

No the christians nicked the midwinter festival from the pagans. No one knows when Yesuda Ben Joseph ws born but people didn't want to give up their mid winter festival so the church grafted christmas onto the pre existing festival - just like with Easter.

 

[editor]

No the christians nicked the midwinter festival from the pagans.

That was quite a while ago, you know.

 

[Belushi]

I don't recall a pagan festival that celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ.

No, but the 25th of December was celebrated as the birth Mithras before it was celebrated as the birth of Jesus.

 

[Belushi]

Are there any Muslims, Jews, Hindus etc offended by the celebration of Christmas? If so I've never met one.

 

[aurora green]

It's ridiculous. I cant believe Lambeth are wasting their time thinking up this, when there are so many other more important things to focus on.

 

[KeyboardJockey]

That was quite a while ago, you know.

still rankles though (mumble mumble mumble)

 

[editor]

Are there any Muslims, Jews, Hindus etc offended by the celebration of Christmas? If so I've never met one.

That's what's so ridiculous about this nonsense.

 

[editor]

still rankles though (mumble mumble mumble)

Yeah, but for all you know the celebrations might have been rubbish!

 

[Belushi]

Yeah, but for all you know the celebrations might have been rubbish!

Nah, everybody loves a Wicker Man

 

[KeyboardJockey]

Yeah, but for all you know the celebrations might have been rubbish!

I dunno sounds alright to me. Get drunk, kill a pig have a big party and look forward to the days getting longer and spring coming back.

 

[KeyboardJockey]

Nah, everybody loves a Wicker Man

LOL

 

[Almor]

That was quite a while ago, you know.

So was the birth of Christ, you know.

Winter lights seems to be more accurate since they're going up everywhere in late October/ early November.

"But we should not be in a position where we are too scared to acknowledge the Christian festival of Christmas in the same way as we mark the Hindu festival of Diwali, the Muslim month of Ramadan and the Jewish Yom Kippur."

Well, we don't mark any of those where I am, certainly the council isn't shelling out to decorate the place for any of them.

Does seem like a bit of a waste of council time to go to such lengths to disguise the connection with Christmas, and "celebrity lights" is utterly shit.

 

[Mr Jolly]

Apparently it was a 'junior' member of staff who made the decision.

Why a junior member of staff was making such a big decision is another matter

 

[editor]

I dunno sounds alright to me. Get drunk, kill a pig have a big party and look forward to the days getting longer and spring coming back.

And live to be about 30, if you're lucky.

With no pubs.

 

[KeyboardJockey]

And live to be about 30, if you're lucky.

With no pubs.

And invasions from your neighbouring tribe trying to steal your pig.

Mind you at least they didn't have Stella

 

[Stobart Stopper]

It's funny how people in this country suddenly become 'christians' as Christmas approaches, how many of the chavs I see frantically shopping at Lakeside even go to church?

Hardly any I'd say.
I can't be arsed with all this politically correct shite at the best of times but I think the only ones who have a right to moan about Lambeth's lights are the regular church goers. The rest, who don't set foot inside a church unless it's for weddings and funerals should shut up moaning IMO>

 

[netbob]

Call me old fashioned if you will, but I'd like them to be called "Christmas Lights", for them to be free of any advertising and sponsorship (remember last year's horrors in Oxford Street?!) and for them to be turned on in December.

I think i'll join you in old fashioned land. Esecially on the sponsorship. The YSL lights on Regents street a few years back were minging.

There is a question of if this all matters though. Is anyone likely to stop calling them Christmas Lights just because the council says so? (unless its a new job for commmunity Support Officers

 

[Streathamite]

And live to be about 30, if you're lucky.

With no pubs.

loadsa nookie tho, so I hear.

 

[belboid]

With no pubs.

but that's because everywhere was a pub already! none of the licensing tosh.....

our funding rules mean that we are not allowed to call the lights which are being put up down the road over the period formerly known as 'christmas' christmas lights. 'no specific religous event can be mentioned' - so we're having seasonal lights, or maybe festive ones.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Fucking good thing if you ask me.

The less I hear of Xmas the happier I'll be.