It's been popular to discuss the "war on Christmas" for the past few years in America. So if I told you that a school in England is banning Christmas, you'd expect that hostility toward the religious holiday has gone global, right?
But THIS ban is for an entirely different reason.
Students at Lady Lumley's School in Pickering, North Yorkshire were told this week that the true meaning of Christmas has been, quote, "lost and buried under and avalanche of commercialization." The message was delivered at a school assembly by none other than Father Christmas.
All Christmas activities are banned unless the kids can persuade their religious education teacher to bring it back. That means, no cards, no parties, no gifts and no Christmas tree.
They have until November 30th to email their teacher and explain why they should be allowed to celebrate Christmas. While some parents were upset about the move some agreed that the focus needs to be on the reason for Christmas.
Of course, I expect that the teacher WILL bring it back after getting the students to explain the "reason fo the season." But there's something about this methodology - meant to teach kids the true meaning of Christmas - that bothers me. I just can't put my finger on it. Is it because "begging for Christmas" doesn't impart the true joy of wanting to celebrate Christmas?
What do you think?