Ep 39: The war on Christmas
Posted: Tue, 24th Nov 2020
What is the real meaning of Christmas in modern Britain, secular and multicultural as it is? Does the Christian tradition have a prerogative on its meaning, and if not, why not? And does anyone really get offended at the phrase 'Merry Christmas'?
These questions have acquired particular significance in recent years, with the emergence of allegations by some Christians of a 'war on Christmas' in the UK. Proponents of this 'war', it is claimed, seek to undermine the true Christian meaning of the festival and to 'take Christ out of Christmas'.
In this episode, Emma Park speaks to the NSS's Alastair Lichten about the so-called 'war on Christmas', its origins in the US, its manifestations in the UK, and why it is more fabricated than real. They also discuss the reasons why allegations of a 'war on Christmas' seem to have subsided in Britain in the last couple of years, and why, at the same time, the Royal Mail has broken with tradition to issue Christian (rather than secular) Christmas stamps two years in a row.
Watch this episode on YouTube | Direct MP3 Link | Transcripts
Follow Emma on Twitter: @DrEmmaPark
Notes
- The 'war on Christmas' is coming
- Christmas cheer at Lady Lumley's School after ban lifted – BBC
- 'There Is No War On Christmas' – David Kyle Johnson
- Defiant Sainsbury's defends Christmas ad after racists threaten boycott over black family
- War on Christmas, Rational Wiki
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