The Play's The Thing
by Quinn
I have just come across this article from this week’s Sunday Telegraph reporting the results of a survey of 100 primary schools across the country regarding which play, if any, they are putting on this Christmas. If true the results are pretty shocking, as they reveal that “only one in five schools are planning to perform a traditional nativity play this year” celebrating the birth of Jesus. Yes, that’s twenty percent.
Now, many people will respond to this news with understandable anger; for myself, I just find it very sad and disappointing. I’m no militant, not by any stretch of the imagination, but I really do think that it is in all of our interests if we can join together and try to promote the true meaning of Christmas.
I mean, it’s not difficult, the clue is in the word, isn’t it? Christmas? As in, err, Father Christmas? Heard of him? Now I’m not too sure who this Jesus bloke is, but I don’t see any reason why he should hijack our perfectly good celebration of commercialism, indulgence and the-telly’s-not-quite-as-good-as-it-used-to-be-when-we-were-kids-is-it that more or less keeps the economy spinning. We really must fight to get this massive 20% figure whittled down.
Perhaps this “Jesus” can get his own festival at some other time of the year, rather than gatecrash our party; just as long as it’s well away from our other great celebrations, like Halloween or Burns Night. Sometime in the Spring would be good, that is if the powers that be can actually get their heads together and nail down a single, definite annual date for the thing.
Anyway, for what it’s worth, here is my own survey, which I can absolutely guarantee you is a complete waste of your time. Enjoy.
Please select the one statement below that most closely corresponds with your point of view
The Obscurer 
I spotted the first Winterval myth of the season on b3ta last week. I can’t remember whether they decided it was a council in Birmingham, or somewhere in the midlands, or just left it at “a council where my mate’s cousin lives.” It was repeated in a more recent photo competition by someone who spelt holiday “holliday”.
There’s a separate book being kept in Casa Smallbeds on how long it will take Terry Wogan’s listeners to bring it up. I’m not paying that much attention to him these days, though, on my doctor’s advice.
Congratulations! You are my first commenter for nearly two months. Thanks for stopping by.
Birmingham, of course, was the home of the original Winterval myth, which, along with other “War on Christmas” bollocks, was effectively dealt with in this Guardian article from last year.
Personally, the more certain people complain about Christmas being banned, the more I want to ensure that my Winterval is as secular as can be, with as little reference to religion as possible.
That said, my son’s primary school somehow snuck a nativity play under the radar of our PC overlords. My son played a camel, and I was so proud.
Mostly I get comments saying my RSS feed is broken. That isn’t a hint, by the way: yours is fine. I can’t say the same about your camel.
Thank you; I invest a great deal of time on, and feel a deep sense of pride in, my RSS feed. So for you to do me the honour of saying that it “is fine”; well, I’ll have a spring in my step for the rest of the day now. Much appreciated.