Christmas is cancelled
Published: November 6, 2005
DON’T mention Christmas around the town hall - bureaucrats have cancelled it.
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 lights switch-on. People respect and enjoy each others’ religion and customs.
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“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.”
Reverend Roger Stedman, pastor of Clapham Christian Fellowship, backed the councillor’s call.
He said: “The lights are there to mark Christmas and as such should be called Christmas lights.
“We should respect Christmas in the same way we respect the festivals and events of other religions.”
Details of the town centre events were published in the council’s newspaper, Lambeth Life. In Cllr Gentry’s ward the December 2 “Winter Lights” switch-on will be followed by a Chinese lantern parade.
Streatham and Oval town centres’ “Winter Lights” will be lit up from November 19 and November 24.
Waterloo residents have been promised a “Celebrity Lights” switch-on on December 1.
Details of Brixton’s festive event have yet to be confirmed.
Only in Norwood have residents been invited to the switch on of “Christmas Lights”. That event takes place on November 24.
A Lambeth council spokesman said: “The term winter lights simply reflects the fact that a number of religious festivals take place over the winter period when the lights are switched on.”
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