Council Puts up Christmas Lights in August to Cater All Faiths
Residents of Milnrow, Lancashire, were surprised to see council workers installing Christmas lights in August 2009, 127 days before Christmas Day. Rochdale Borough Council said the lights would be used to celebrate a number of festivals, starting with the Muslim feast of Eid in September. Other ‘holy days’ over the period between August and Christmas include Hindu Diwali celebrations in October, the Jewish feast of Hanukkah in December and even Yule, the pagan celebration of the winter solstice. The Council’s decision attracted derision from the national press and Milnrow residents. One local labelled the move “ludicrous” and said: “A worker told me they had to be up in time for all the religious festivals, but most of the lights refer to the Christian Christmas.”
Sources: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/blog/2009/aug/21/christmas-lights-rochdale http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2599263/Christmas-lights-put-up-in-August-in-Milnrow.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/6079360/Christmas-lights-in-August-is-a-perversion-of-the-seasons.html http://www.baptistsinireland.org/documents/190/marginchristians.pdf