I remember when I was a kid that christmas was fun. I am finding now that I have no christmas spirit. I ask myself why and this is what I come up with. I have no christmas spirit because there is no old style christmas left. We have all become so politically correct with the eradication of nativity plays, Santa v isits and "Merry Christmas". Gone are the days of end of year class christmas parties with christmas cards being given out. Gone are the days when you would hear "Merry Christmas" being said everywhere. We can't upset the ethnic groups by having Santa coming to visit, we can't upset different religions by singing christmas carols, we can't upset social groups by hugging each other and wishing each other season's greetings. Who ever invented political correctness is directly responsible for the death of the christmas spirit and should be slapped very hard (although that is not allowed either). Let's go back to the old days where it was ok to believe in whatever you wanted and celebrate openly and without fear. Merry christmas to all and I hope Santa visits you, eats your biscuits, drinks your beer and leaves you lots of politically incorrect prezzies...xxx.

Welcome Kathee Davis.
Tell you what I will have a beer and slice of my home made pudding for you.
Will not drop a bottle of Rum in while no one is looking.
Not chop the chooks heads of then chase them around the backyard.
Donnt run well out of the freezer.
Be a gum tree instead of the European pine.
Still have folk sleeping off the baked feed and pudding all day.
But not sure other than the kids growing up, and me and the brothers refusing to, much has changed.

All these changes must have passed me by.

We still do all the things and seem to experience all the things we did at Christmas years ago....(I even resurrect my mum's old K-Tel Christmas carol record every year)

Who doesn't wish their friends and family Merry Christmas? Who can't hug their friends and wish them Merry Christmas? Who can't sing Christmas carols?

Santa still visits the shopping centres where I live - and Christmas paraphernalia is all around....tills are ringing, ding, ding, a dingaling-ling-ling and all that....puddings and cakes are made, crackers are popped, cards are read. Number one son is busy nagging us this week to attend something in the town square on Sunday called the "Christmas Concert".

Am I living in an alternate universe, because "Christmas" still seems to be in existence where I live.

The whole point of A Christmas Carol, written nearly 170 years ago, was that grumpy old coots don't have merry Christmases.

But I guess they don't teach Dickens in school anymore either. Bah Humbug!

My old Dad is an old school Red and an Atheist but he's a softie, so we had a christmas tree, presents and feasting every year. I don't know where these christmas bans are occurring, Steiner Schools? Childcare Centres run by Jehovah's Witnesses? I've never come across a case of Nativity plays or scenes being banned, there's a part for everyone in the play,a blue eyed Christ, Three Oriental Kings, a palestinian carpenter and his missus, some non raciallly specific shepherds and furry barnyard friends. Plus most of the recent immigrants are Christians anyway, I think we're more likely to see calls for a revival of old timey christmases than any attacks on the institution. Muslim kids at my youngest daughter's school give out cards to their friends at christmas as well as little presents at Eid, my oldest is in High School so they're all a bit too cool for that sort of thing now but I've never heard of any problems. One time a naughty little Arabic boy was running around telling the Preps that Santa didn't exist but as I recall he was told to shut up and that he wouldn't be getting any presents LOL.

No katheedavis, personally I haven't seen any of the problems you write about, although I have read about some schools considering banning nativity plays because of large numbers of non-Christian children enrolled there.

I don't agree with that sort of ban, but I think it is appropriate if these schools also arrange for celebrations for other religion's special days too.

In fact, I think the Christmas foods, decorations and festivities seem to start earlier every year!