127 replies to this topic

[AgainstAllOdds]

I've been advised today that I can't organise a 'Christmas Party' at work this year. It has to be a 'Celebration' instead.  The reason - not everyone celebrates Christmas and calling it a christmas party could cause offense.  

99% of the staff celebrate Christmas, the few that don't join in anyway and have done for 9 years. We have a Christmas party for Staff's children as well, with Father Christmas - that has to change too.

Am I being unreasonable here -  I think this is going too far. This is a Christian country, surely those who choose to live here, can accept that we have our own celebrations, Christmas being one of them.  

I'm just waiting for a note to say no Christmas Cards - there will be a walk out.

I'd love to hear others views on this...

[Kelly A]

I'd go pagan and celebrate the solstice.

[DrinkTheElixir]

Maybe we should rename all the religious festivals to make them all sound like nebulous nothingness and see what happens?  My guess is that is would piss alot of religious groups off - and in my opinion, quite rightly so.  

It is bullshit in my opinion.

[OneArpeggioPete]

that's a joke! so, what next, chanukka will have to be renamed winter feast with lots of lights and eid autumnal face stuffing feast?

:-)

oneArpeggiopete:cool:

[AgainstAllOdds]

OneArpeggioPete said:

that's a joke! so, what next, chanukka will have to be renamed winter feast with lots of lights and eid autumnal face stuffing feast?

:-)

oneArpeggiopete:cool:

believe me, I wish it was a bloody joke.  I'll be the joke when I try to explain this to staff.  If it wasn't for paying hte bills, I'd tell them to stuff the job, and HR as a career.

[Tuppenny]

How ridiculous. No-ones forcing anyone to take part in the Christmas celebrations! Although I can't say that any of my friends who are proudly atheist/agnostic friends to be overly fussed about partying for two weeks and generally joining in with the spirit of the occasion last year! Its supposed to be about peace, love, understanding and eating until you're sick, not bloody politics. Jeez...

[DrinkTheElixir]

OneArpeggioPete said:

that's a joke! so, what next, chanukka will have to be renamed winter feast with lots of lights and eid autumnal face stuffing feast?

:-)

oneArpeggiopete:cool:

Maybe we should name Diwali the 'environmentally friendly house lighting festival'.  Or Onam, 'eat more root vegetables on a snake boat ride' day.

Renaming is fun!

[bizaleth]

Maybe I am the odd one out, but I don't see a problem with not calling it Christmas. I prefer it, actually. We have Holiday Parties at work, and I prefer it that way.

I am not a Christian but my family (who is) and I celebrate Christmas because we always have and at this point it is cultural more than religious. But when dealing with the public or even a workplace, I never make an assumption that everyone is Christian. And I don't think you should.

When I was still in publishing we had a "Holiday Issue" because we knew that we had readers who were not Christian. And I won't send "Christmas" cards. If it says "Merry Christmas" in it, I won't buy them. But that is a personal choice, really.

[Tuppenny]

Sorry, I've just realised that last post was a little irate. :o  I think its the thought of getting rid of Christmas cards that upset me! ;)

[AgainstAllOdds]

but see thats what infuriates me. Can you imagine what would happen if we started renaming other religious festivals?  Yet, we are expected to change our celebrations for fear of offending.  :confused:

The whole thing is completely mad

[bizaleth]

I don't see anywhere in your initial post where you say you have to rename a holiday. You're just changing the name of the party to not be so religion-specific. What is the problem with that?

[DrinkTheElixir]

I wouldn't send Christmas cards to people who have a deep aversion to the celebration of course ;)  I do find it funny that some of those who oppose Christmas quite vocally love to still mark the day by eating the expected Christmas fayre, exchanging gifts and taking double time for maybe working over that.  That said, irony is my friend, so I can squint my eye at that with good humour :p

[AgainstAllOdds]

bizaleth said:

I don't see anywhere in your initial post where you say you have to rename a holiday. You're just changing the name of the party to not be so religion-specific. What is the problem with that?

I guess I link both the staffs Christmas party and the Childrens Christmas party to Christmas.  To think of it as a celebration is an enormous change of mindset. It may be a celebration, but its Christmas.  

The post about renaming holidays, was more commenting on the other posts about renaming holidays.

[DrinkTheElixir]

bizaleth said:

I don't see anywhere in your initial post where you say you have to rename a holiday. You're just changing the name of the party to not be so religion-specific. What is the problem with that?

Because everyone knows that it is really a Christmas party, but they are pretending that it isn't, just incase someone pisses their pants.  Why bother?  If you don't like it, don't worry.  Drink the free wine, eat the snacks and think secretly that you hate Christmas, but free office Jesus food rocks!

[DrinkTheElixir]

As long as the food isn't communion wine and wafers.  That would be real trickery.

[AgainstAllOdds]

No its a free 3 course meal, wine with the meal, followed by a disco till the early hours.  Its not compulsory either.

And just thinking aloud here..the venue will be decorated head to toe in Christmas decorations:confused: Surely I'm not going to have to find a venue thats not decorated for Christmas, a menu with no Turkey and Christmas pud and also no crackers.

How can you pretend its not christmas

[bizaleth]

I still don't see what the big deal is. I guess to me it is more about not assuming everyone around me believes one thing or another. Maybe it's because I work with the public so I am very aware of it. But, honestly, I just don't see why it is a big deal. I see it as courtesy more than anything. I can't assume that everyone around me believes the same thing I do. Nor can I start putting the Virgin Mary or a nativity scene in the library -- I may live in an area with a Christian majority, but I know that many of our students and staff are not. And if I were planning a work party I would never call it a Christmas party because I don't know what our staff believe in.

Yes, Christmas is cultural, but to some it isn't. It doesn't offend me in the least, I just don't how others feel about it. And I am not going to assume that I do. To do so would be unfair.

[DrinkTheElixir]

piglet said:

How can you pretend its not christmas

Close your eyes, go LALALALALALALALALALALA and then drink 5 pints of Bitter?

[OneArpeggioPete]

piglet said:

but see thats what infuriates me. Can you imagine what would happen if we started renaming other religious festivals?  Yet, we are expected to change our celebrations for fear of offending.  :confused:

The whole thing is completely mad

yep, that's the thing. either no religious feasts at all or each to the ones fitting with their cultural background. kids are (hopefully) taught about divali and channuka and eid in kindergarten, so why not about christmas? i've made it clear millions of times that i don't believe in any deities, but my cultural background is christian and i like to see that respected as much as i'm expected to respect somone else's hindu, jewish or muslim background.

:-)

oneArpeggiopete:cool:

[bizaleth]

piglet said:

I guess I link both the staffs Christmas party and the Childrens Christmas party to Christmas.  To think of it as a celebration is an enormous change of mindset. It may be a celebration, but its Christmas.  

The post about renaming holidays, was more commenting on the other posts about renaming holidays.

And that's fine. But there is a chance that not everyone will.