WordType Designs™
Driven To Distractions©
The Sound of One Hand Clapping©

A rchive Date
[ 27-09-2000 ]
Category
[ International Relations ]
sub-Categoy
[ Canada ]
      [Taking Christ out of Christmas
      By SEAN DURKAN-- Ottawa Bureau
      Wednesday, September 27, 2000

      OTTAWA - Grit MP John Bryden wants to take Christ out of the Christmas Day holiday to make it easier for non-Christians to celebrate it.

      Bryden has tabled a private bill which would have Christmas Day declared part of Canada's heritage and awarded the status of a national holiday, rather than just a statutory holiday based on religious observance.

      "Christmas Day is not a religious holiday to many, but it is part and parcel of being Canadian," says Bryden.

      "This goes back to the very early days of Canada; to our ancestors who, when winter was upon them in the wilderness, huddled around the fire and felt fellowship and good cheer.

      "My bill, I hope, will enable those people who are not Christians to celebrate Christmas with the rest of Canadians," says Bryden.

      Bryden, who with his wife is active in the United Church, says Christmas would continue to be a religious day for those who observe it, but by by making it a heritage day for everyone else, it would remove a lot of "embarrassment.

      "You would be able to give or accept a greeting of merry Christmas without having to worry about giving offence," Bryden told Sun Media.

      But religious and ethnic groups panned the bill, calling it unnecessary and inflammatory.

      "It is not like you have to be Christian to have Christmas Day off," said Rev. William Kokesch, communications director for the Catholic Conference of Bishops.

      "Very often you hear the complaint that Christ has been taken out of Christmas, and it's sort of absurd - consider the first half of the word - that an act of Parliament could suddenly say that is no longer part of it," said Kokesch.

      Manuel Prutschi, a spokesman for the Canadian Jewish Congress agreed, and said the bill would offend people.

      "People are already free to enjoy the holiday as they see fit, so why unnecessarily stir up Canada's multicultural and multi-faith pot?" he said.


      World Fact Book (CIA)]


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