Published: November 16th 2009 - at 9:58 amThey’ve banned Christmas! Sort of!
contribution by 5 chinese crackers
They didn’t actually. Last year, the Observer reported on 2 November that Oxford City Council had banned all reference to Christmas in its WinterLight Festival (which was nonsense).
This year, it wasn’t until the 13th that the Times managed ‘Christmas lights switch-on ceremony renamed ‘Winter White Night’‘. Guess what? It’s nonsense!
Okay, Dundee Council really have named the night the Christmas lights get switched on ‘Winter Light Night’ (not ‘white’, see), but according to the Times:
Christmas will not be Christmas in Dundee this year. All references to the religious holiday have been dropped from the switching-on ceremony for the city’s festive lights
Sounds familiar. In fact, it sounds almost exactly the same as last year’s nonsense about Oxford.
Let’s see what Dundee Council’s coverage of the event says, at ‘Winter Light Night set to shine a spotlight on Dundee‘. Apparently, there’s loads of stuff going on including fireworks, performances, late opening of shops and ‘cultural buildings’ and – what’s this?:
Winter Light Night will also be the first showcase of the city’s 2009 Christmas lights.
Oh. What about the council’s Winter Light Night Programme? There’s this:
There is something for everyone at Winter Light Night: see the city;s Christmas Lights for the first time, watch the children’s faces as they meet Sparky the Robot and the Christmas Fairy, discover something new about Dundee, do a spot of Christmas Shopping or just take in the sights and sounds.
That looks like three mentions of the word ‘Christmas’ in one sentence. But…but…all references to the religious holiday have been dropped! This is the national newspaper of record. Surely, the Times can’t be involved in prurient bandwagon jumping, could it?
How does the event kick off?:
Listen to the church bells ringing out across the city centre – the signal that Dundee is about to start celebrating.
Church bells? When will these Marxists trying to destroy our country as we know it realise that this is a Christian country? Oh. I thought that said ‘Mosque Speakers’ for a second there.
What’s happened is that the Council are putting on a great big event that covers more than just switching on Christmas Lights – which they’re still having and still calling Christmas Lights, along with lots of other Christmassy stuff. They’ve just decided to give the great big event a different name.
Here’s how the Council goes further to eradicate references to Christmas this year. In November’s event listings (from the 15th onwards), there are 43 entries with the word ‘Christmas’ in the heading. In December’s, there are 119.
Damn you, PC Brigade! Damn you for not including the word Christmas in the name of one event and only including it in one hundred and sixty two others!
Is nothing sacred?
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First published on the 5CC blog here.
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Reader comments
Very good post – as a resident of Dundee, I’ve had plenty of folk ‘complaining’ about this one to me!!
They should have called it Winterval. For all the bad press that got at the time, at least it was a good word.
All very well, but why call it “Winter Night Light” and not “Christmas Lights”?
Chavscum – the Christmas Light Turn On is called, the Christmas Light Turn On, and that’s just one wee part of the one big event, with choirs being hired and the shops opening later and fireworks and stuff. It’s like, the launch of the whole festive season. That’s the season of, you know, Christmas.
Chavscum: What Grogipher said. The event covers more than Christmas Lights.
I hope people aren’t restricted to having to insert ‘Christmas’ in the name of any big event that involves something Christmassy. That would look a lot like Political Correctness Gone Mad.
I think you’re all forgetting the true meaning of Christmas.
Seriously, won’t somebody think of the children?
Will Dawson, Convener of Dundee City Council’s City Development Committee said: “Winter Light Night is a celebration of Dundee’s culture and Scotland’s heritage but also of our local community and our city’s ambition. The varied programme of Winter Light Night reflects today’s Dundee as a diverse and vibrant city. There will be something to suit all tastes, and everyone is invited. Come along and discover, or rediscover, Dundee.”
No mention of Christmas here. You’re right they haven’t banned Christmas. Instead, they’ve renamed it for politically correct reasons, as is obvious from the above statement. They’ve added a puppet show to justify the non-Xmas title. Its the usual crap from white middle-class lefties. No minority group has ever objected or felt excluded from Christmas celebrations, unless you know of any? Why not call it Christmas Lights Night?
Chavscum, your “No mention of Christmas here” gotcha would be more impressive if the post hadn’t already specifically addressed that point and provided 4 examples of the Dundee council specifically using the C word. If you click on the link to the Dundee webiste you will find several more. Alternatively you can not do that, and continue peddling your halfwitted nonsense.
I think he’d rather peddle his halfwitted nonsense. After all, he is an utter fuckpump.
This is just another example of how the Right wing just copy their American masters.
The so called ‘war on Christmas’ has been pushed by the American right wing for a few years now, mostly by Murdoch’s Fox. So no surprise that the limp dick British Right wing are doing their usual copy cat tactics.
I am sure Tim (I have never had an original idea) Montgomerie is firing up the word processor as we speak.
Larry Teabag: Thanks for backing me up, fella. But just to be clear – I didn’t just give 4 examples of the council using the word ‘Christmas’ – I gave 166 examples. Makes ‘Instead, they’ve renamed it for politically correct reasons, as is obvious from the above statement.’ Looka bit silly.
If Dundee Council had renamed Christmas for politically correct reasons, why were there (at time of me posting the above post) 162 uses of the word ‘Christmas’ in their upcoming events calendar, plus another four in the pages publicising this event alone?
Of course, if it was left up to the right-wingers, Dundee Council would have no Christmas lights at all because public spending is not Politically Correct.
I don’t think you can blame Fox and US wingnuts – this nonsense started with Birmingham’s Winterval (which incorporated everything between Bonfire Night firework displays to New Years Day celebrations).
Birmingham’s publicity also featured Christmas prominently but the Bishop of Birmingham’s lies was the better story. And I’m sure Murdoch journos are instructed not to let facts get in the way of a good story.
Thanks for confirming it is a Christmas celebration. So why call it something different? It is for no reason other than political correctness. Thanks comrades.
Shorter Chavscum: “La la la can’t hear you”
You’re quite big into this Christianity then, are you Scum? Like a nice bit of praying, churchgoing, reading the Bible & that? Leading the Christian life every step of the way? Or do you only talk about it when it’s an excuse to slag off the people that the voices in your head tell you are a threat to you?
Furthermore, why exactly do you comment here in the first place?
Actually, I’m a non-believer. However, I recognise the importance of Christain traditions to our cultural and historical identity. Funny, I’ve just been called a Labour troll on a Tory site. People don’t like anyone who questions their partisan opinions, especially if they expose the vulnerability of their rhetoric. I’m surprised Sunny isn’t deleting me. At least, the Tory blogs are more tolerant.
You’ll doubtless want to welcome the black Christians who’ve been arriving in this country recently, then. Being as they’re some of the most devout adherents to Christian values in the country.
The really funny thing is that Christmas was banned, once upon a time… By the Church. Too idolatrous.
In Chavscum’s mind, any event which takes place after the 1st of November must, apparently, be prefixed with Christmas.
So I’m off for a Christmas poo.
Chavscum: “Thanks for confirming it is a Christmas celebration.”
Who did that?
Reactions: Twitter, blogs
- Liberal Conspiracy
:: They've banned Christmas! Sort of! http://bit.ly/2JCvdk
- oliver gili
They've banned Christmas! Sort of! http://bit.ly/2JCvdk (from Liberal Conspiracy) #tabloidnonsense
- davejonathan
Liberal Conspiracy » They've banned Christmas! Sort of! http://tinyurl.com/ye3g4gm
- Alice
RT @libcon: :: They've banned Christmas! Sort of! http://bit.ly/2JCvdk
- Martin Belam
"They’ve banned Christmas! Sort of!" showcases some classic Winterval fact-checking, a Christmas tradition in itself http://bit.ly/EAIEc
- JayneHowarth
RT @paulbradshaw: Essential: More lazy 'Winterval' journalism via @currybet: "They’ve banned Christmas! Sort of!" http://bit.ly/EAIEc
- christ_mas
Liberal Conspiracy » They've banned Christmas! Sort of!: There is something for everyone at Winter Light Night: se… http://bit.ly/1veMol
- Martin Belam
@Chris_Hoskins of course, you know that Times / Dundee / Christmas story is full of errors? http://bit.ly/EAIEc
- Chris_Hoskins
RT @currybet: @Chris_Hoskins of course, you know that Times / Dundee / Christmas story is full of errors? http://bit.ly/EAIEc
- Eddie Arthur
RT @Chris_Hoskins: RT @currybet: @Chris_Hoskins you know that Times / Dundee / Christmas story is full of errors? http://bit.ly/EAIEc
- Created In Telford
RT @paulbradshaw: Essential: More lazy 'Winterval' journalism via @currybet: "They’ve banned Christmas! Sort of!" http://bit.ly/EAIEc Pse RT
- Fail Camp
RT @paulbradshaw Essential: More lazy 'Winterval' journalism via @currybet: "They’ve banned Christmas! Sort of!" http://bit.ly/EAIEc
- GuyClapperton
RT @Sarah_Booker: They’ve banned Christmas! Sort of!: And so the "anti-Christmas" conspiracy begins http://bit.ly/3wxED5 [del.icio.us]
- Robin Green
RT @libcon: :: They've banned Christmas! Sort of! http://bit.ly/2JCvdk
- andrew
Liberal Conspiracy » They've banned Christmas! Sort of!: They've banned Christmas! Sort of! http://bit... http://bit.ly/4sQnFe
- 5 Chinese Crackers
Last 5cc entry up at Liberal Conspiracy: http://bit.ly/2puPV3
- Tim Ireland
They’ve banned Christmas! Sort of! http://bit.ly/2puPV3 <- by @5ChinCrack who should be an auto-follow for anyone following me
- David O'Keefe
Liberal Conspiracy » They’ve banned Christmas! Sort of! http://bit.ly/2JCvdk
- Dan Gurney
RT: @bloggerheads: They’ve banned Christmas! Sort of! http://bit.ly/2puPV3 <- by @5ChinCrack #tabloidnonsense
- Paolo Viscardi
If only they would… RT mjrobbins RT @libcon Liberal Conspiracy » They’ve banned Christmas! Sort of! http://bit.ly/4yZbVP
- Paolo Viscardi
If only they would… RT @mjrobbins RT @libcon Liberal Conspiracy » They’ve banned Christmas! Sort of! http://bit.ly/4yZbVP
- JamieSW
They’ve banned Christmas! Sort of! http://bit.ly/2JCvdk
- Gareth Colwell
More poorly researched "Winterval" journalism: http://bit.ly/2JCvdk
- Matt Lodder
RT @LibCon They've banned Christmas! Sort of! http://bit.ly/2JCvdk
- tkingdoll
RT @mattlodder: RT @LibCon They've banned Christmas! Sort of! http://bit.ly/2JCvdk
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Social comments and analytics for this post…
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- Paul Bradshaw
Essential: More lazy 'Winterval' journalism via @currybet: "They’ve banned Christmas! Sort of!" http://bit.ly/EAIEc
- Jim Hawkins
RT @paulbradshaw: Essential: More lazy 'Winterval' journalism via @currybet: "They’ve banned Christmas! Sort of!" http://bit.ly/EAIEc Pse RT
- Nicholas Stewart
They’ve banned Christmas! Sort of! http://bit.ly/1fR2jL
- Sarah_Booker
They’ve banned Christmas! Sort of!: And so the "anti-Christmas" conspiracy begins http://bit.ly/3wxED5 [del.icio.us]
- Sarah_Booker
They’ve banned Christmas! Sort of!: And so the "anti-Christmas" conspiracy begins http://bit.ly/3wxED5 [del.icio.us]
- Fail Camp
RT @paulbradshaw Essential: More lazy 'Winterval' journalism via @currybet: "They’ve banned Christmas! Sort of!" http://bit.ly/EAIEc
- Andy Gimblett
Yeah, see, The Times is just a broadsheet Sun really. RT @greenrd: RT @libcon: :: They've banned Christmas! Sort of! http://bit.ly/2JCvdk
- Tim Ireland
They’ve banned Christmas! Sort of! http://bit.ly/2puPV3 <- by @5ChinCrack who should be an auto-follow for anyone following me
- mjrobbins
RT @libcon Liberal Conspiracy » They’ve banned Christmas! Sort of! http://bit.ly/4yZbVP
- sunny hundal
The Times falls for lazy, crap journalism. RT @libcon They’ve banned Christmas! Sort of! http://bit.ly/4yZbVP
- ourmaninabiko
RT @pickledpolitics: The Times falls for lazy, crap journalism. RT @libcon They’ve banned Christmas! Sort of! http://bit.ly/4yZbVP
- How The Times has left me worried I’m hallucinating
[...] Liberal Conspiracy Share this story with your [...]
- Deryn Evans
RT@pickledpolitics The Times falls for lazy, crap journalism. RT @libcon They’ve banned Christmas! Sort of! http://bit.ly/4yZbVP
- What’s your problem with the internet? A crib sheet for news exec speeches
[...] too). But of course myths aren’t restricted to one medium – think of the various ‘Winterval’ stories propagated by a range of newspapers that have gained such common currency. Or how about these [...]
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