Noddy Holder buggered then "It's wiiiiiiiiiiiiinterrrrrr!"

of the population of this country regularly attended a Christian service of worship, yet we retain the right to be offended when we're "not allowed" to refer to our annual pagan pig-out as "Christ Mass".

I'm not a believer myself, but I think I know who SHOULD be most offended here...

There are carol singers and christmas trees in every shopping mall at christmas, no-one here is offended.

That does seem grossly unfair. I can't see why that would be done without good reason yet I'm struggling to think of one.

However, the phrase "PC Gone Mad" drives me up the wall. Political correctness is a good thing - it's about making sure people are treated equally and all voices get heard; I don't think anyone would disagree with that as a concept.

So, when something like this happens, it's not "PC gone mad" or "this country going to the dogs" or "Broken Britain", it's someone, somewhere, being a bit of a twat.

...is which area of the country. Just so the massive can descend on it en masse and point at and otherwise redicule the morons who come out with this rubbish.

It's not often I agree with the Daily Mail (happens more as I get older, worryingly) but on this they're spot on.

from someone who actually has first-hand experience of this sort of nonsense. I'm always a bit dubious when I read about it in the papers.

The ridiculous thing is, of course, that the vast, vast, majority of followers of religions other than Christianity would not be remotely offended by the title "Christmas Concert".

by the word "Christmas", then just rejoice in the fact that the next seven weeks are going to be truly miserable for them!

Can we have some more specific details - the building the concert will be held in, the area it's in, and who has asked for the name change, and their authority for doing this? There may be some crossed wires somewhere. If it's a council decision, you could to talk to your councillor about it.

I live in an area often caricatured as the home of PC - the London Borough of Camden - and Christmas concerts are being advertised here and it's mixed as anywhere.

I always thought such stories were fabricated, or deliberately mis-interpreted, by the Daily Express.

Of course, no non-Christian would be 'offended' by a Christmas concert. The decision will be down to some right-on, white, english individual grasping the wrong end of the PC stick.

usually turn out to be utter balls when anyone bothers to check em. And mr wright just tell the person who told you that they are clearly talking out of their hat and find another venue to do your gig. In these financial times there will be plenty less picky

Mr Stewart Lee

Just tell them to sod off.

Several years ago, I used to buy petrol regularly at a filling station run by Sikhs. One January, they asked if I'd had a good Christmas. Being ignorant of their customs, I was unsure how to ask a similar question in return, but I hit on 'Do you have any festivals at this time of year?'

'Yeah, we do Christmas, we celebrate everything, Diwali, Eid...' was the response.

Is anyone really offended? I've had Christmas dinners with Jews, Hindus and Muslims - they seem to be interested in the different traditions rather than upset by them.

Frank Costanza has the answer

Tell them you're offended if they don't.

we live in Stoke Newington in Hackney. Both our children have been through primary school here, and for the last 10 years we have been to 'winter festivals'. Not once has Christmas been mentioned in these entertainment extravaganzas.
I have no doubt this has nothing to do with the non-Christian parents attached to the school, and everything to do with the white, middle class, muddle-headed headteacher and his equally limp staff.
The children learn about Sikh, Hindu, Islamic and Jewish festivals, which is wonderful because it gives them all an understanding of the communities that live in our corner of the capital.
The one religion they don't learn about is Christianity, which is clearly bonkers. And I speak as an atheist with a Hindu father and Catholic education.
Bt be clear - this is not religious minorities who are demanding this madness, it is white liberal school management terrified of offending people who don't have the least intention of taking offence.

- but ffs keep calm. No-one is bothered, do what you like and wait for the law suit. It won't arrive.

And stop reading the Daily Mail.

And let the debate start after that. It is misguided, afraid to offend, White liberals with no understanding of other communities. These stories have rather gathered a foothold in the popular imagination and need to be challenged.
Let it be stated that The Express won this year's race to the coveted 'Christmas cancelled' crown with a story in October.

I'd give you all up arrow

Won't connect to t'internet but MacBook, iPhone, Sonos will. Any ideas?

Christmas? The idea that xmas is fixed is odd . Particularly in families a 'tradition' can be something you've done twice! I have friends for whom ice skating on artificial rinks is traditional but these rinks have only been around for last 8-9 years. Even long held traditions change the xmas pudding we eat is different from the victorian version. Not saying we should change the name I like having an annual celebration of Chris just that Chrismas changes every year.

It seems there are those who worry about offending others who they don't actually check with to see if they will be offended, and it turns out they aren't actually bothered - a peculiarly English worry among the right on brigade who give the good intentions of political correctness a bad name and shoot themselves in the foot. Here's a story about christmas lights in Oxford to show it does happen, though the level of outrage may exaggerate the extent of the issue:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3367390/Christmas-banned-in-Oxfor...

...a few years ago I received a leaflet from Lambeth council which mentioned "winter festival" numerous times but Christmas not once. It was incredibly badly written and conceived and seemed to be almost as though it was printed just to put peoples' backs up.

or something else unrelated, PC is censorship bollocks and the only thing that surprises me is that we have all allowed it to seep into our society. It's too late to do anything about it now, the fuckers have got us by the bollocks and will squeeze whenever they feel like it.

spherical essence containers

bigger issue than the re-naming of Christmas festivals or a matter of competing faiths and who believes what. The bottom line is that this country is based on Christian principles of the enlightenment and Christmas, Easter are part of our traditions. Whether people go to church to celebrate is an irrevalence. By celebrating Christmas, we are not excluding anyone of non-Christian faith nor are we ramming the message of Christmas down anybody's throat. Yes, of course, we should have a mixed society where everyone and their faiths have equal rights and I think we come pretty close to that (it's not perfect but it's a work in progress because things change), but what I find hard to tolerate is the great and the good being embarassed about what should be good in this country and for which many people better than I fought hard for, and letting this all go hang just for some dreamy version of multicultural nirvana where minorities are allowed to live in a bubble and can adopt a take your pick attitude about what they can accept. I am not talking about superficial issues here, am not suggesting that everyone should eat fish and chips but am talking about fundamental rights on which this country is based upon (i.e: freedom of speech, worship and the right to be offended). In other words, a fully integrated society. We ought to be proud of the fact that this country is based on immigration and their integration and absorption into the values of the country whilst also making positive contributions themselves. It doesn't do this country any good in the long term to allow pools of discontented people who have no identification with the values of this country and the fact that I am talking about 2nd generation immigrants should be a worry for us all. A little more clarity and thought about what this country represents and less shouting from the rooftops and pandering to newspaper headlines might help but I'm not holding my breath. Just one more thing; I have always been taken how American immigrants tend to refer themselves as American-Italians etc don't see that happening here.
Sorry, bit of a rant and probably not the place for it but it's an issue that gets me every time being the 2nd generation son of Irish/Italian parentage.

I can't stand Christmas. Nothing to do with being offended, I'm just a miserable sod (:-)

I offer to work shifts at Christmas to let my colleagues with young families be with them.

Meanwhile, I sit in the control room of a stand by power station, drinking tea & eating mince pies while listening to the radio.

Easy life.

I wish it could be Christmas every day.

http://owni.eu/2010/11/08/top-48-ads-that-would-never-be-allowed-today/