Topic: The Eden project

[Val]

I hear they are to ban the word Christmas because it may upset other faiths. They are calling it, time of gifts..that apparently doesn't offend anyone....well it bloody well offends me. Thats my faith they are talking about , how dare they. I thought this was a christian country...Do the other countries ban their religions then...I think not. PC gone crazy.

[Palustris]

When the Hindu, Muslim, Sikh faiths change the names of their festivals to avoid upsetting people of other faiths I may be happy to change the name of mine, till then Christmas it is and Christmas it shall remain.. And those organisations which succumb to petty minded stupidity like this, can go whistle for any money from me!

[Spurdie]

Whatever next?!?  :( The world has gone mad! Why does the UK tiptoe around everyone else, when other countries don't care what they say about us? We've all gone soft!  :'(

[Kerry]

'time of gifts' !!!  is this the true meaning of Christmas then? shopping and presents?!!

who is 'they'? -haven't heard this one. well, not since last year!

[ACE]

I wish they would ban LENT it upsets me as i'm always in debt.

[Mimi]

Val I may be a bit dense here but what does all this have to do with the Eden Project ???

[Jill]

Hi Val

Found this quote on the Eden Project site.  The Time of Gifts is not specifically Christmas.

As one of the best loved and most successful Millennium Commission lottery funded projects we are proud to be at the centre of the celebrations to mark the 10th birthday of The National Lottery with a winter long celebration we call A Time of Gifts. Traditionally this is the time of year when people around the globe reflect on the past year and look forward to the next. We are celebrating this in a 10 week season starting on November 11 when Eden will become a home to reflect on what really matters, on the values that make it worth getting up in the morning; a place that warms the heart by showing what so many people and projects are doing to try and make their communities and the world  a better place.

HTH

[Mimi]

Said that I was a bit dense Jill. ;)  Thanks for the explaination.

[aquilegia]

Seems a bit of a double standard when something called the Eden project moans about the religious connotation in the name of a festival.

[SpeedyMango]

The Eden Project site actually says (my highlight - was this bit added recently?):

As one of the best loved and most successful Millennium Commission lottery funded projects we are proud to be at the centre of the celebrations to mark the 10th birthday of The National Lottery with a winter long celebration we call A Time of Gifts. Traditionally this is the time of year when people around the globe reflect on the past year and look forward to the next. "A Time of Gifts" is not only a time for fun and celebration but also a time to rediscover the spirit not just of Christmas but of mid winter festivals of all kinds.

We are celebrating this in a 10 week season starting on November 11 when Eden will become a home to reflect on what really matters, on the values that make it worth getting up in the morning; a place that warms the heart by showing what so many people and projects are doing to try and make their communities and the world a better place.

...so they are not "banning Christmas" at all.

[Val]

 ;DI think they are banning the word Christmas, not the event. Anyway I've sent them an e-mail, so lets hope they can clarify what they do mean.I'll let you know when I get an answer.....err hapy christmas...... ;D

[Jill]

Speedy Mango, I cut and pasted the bit I quoted immediately before posting above, so your highlighted bit must have been taken from a different spot on their site, or it was added between last night and when you found it  ;D

Val, I'm afraid I can't see anywhere where they're saying they're banning "Christmas" (other than being closed on Christmas Day :)).  I took it to mean that they are just trying to be inclusive of all the religious festivals that occur around this time without having to be specific about every single one.  Also think really it's more to do with finding an excuse to celebrate all the Lottery funding they've been given and attract a few more punters.

I'll be interested to see how they respond to you.

[Mrs Ava]

Teehee Heritage!  ;D

[Val]

Dear Mrs Casey

Thank you for correspondence.

We are devastated at the Project by the views from the public we have
had by phone, letter and e-mail since the reports in some papers this
past weekend (Nov 14/15) that we are anti - Christmas, or worse
anti-Christian. We are not.  

What certain sections of the media have misunderstood, or chosen to
misunderstand, is the nature of our winter season which has just
started
and which we are calling "A Time of Gifts". That season is planned to
go
on until February 5th      and possibly a little longer so it is indeed
about many things as well as Christmas - though Christmas will
naturally
be at the heart of it for many of our visitors and staff.

Perhaps our literature supporting A time of Gifts (which has been out
for some time) sums this up best , stating that it is "a time for fun
and celebration and a time to rediscover the spirit not just of
Christmas but of midwinter festivals of all kinds" - that's pretty
clear. We have invited charities to have a stall here and talk to our
visitors, there are opportunities for local manufacturers to sell their
wares (often Christmas based), we sell Christmas decorations in the
shop
- as we have done every year since we opened. Yes, there are Christmas
trees and yes, there is carol singing - how could you attempt to run a
season at this time of year without such ingredients? And it's all
based
in a breathtakingly lit Eden with a huge skating rink at its heart
which
has already caught the imagination of kids of all ages.

We set out to build a fun experience for the people of Cornwall and the
visitors it is already attracting in big numbers. It is a real shame
for
the media to "put the boot in" on such a harmless and yes, delightful
idea. We have always had good relationships with the media who by and
large have supported us every step of the way; we rarely complain but
on
this occasion we have had to hit back because the power of their
comment
naturally influences many who come across it. Hence your understandable
concern.

Perhaps those who filled up their column inches with such nonsense at
the weekend  should come and see at first hand what is going on down
here. Sadly none bothered.

But if you would like to visit and see first-hand what we're up to,
please just contact us again and we'll fix it. Just treat it as our
Christmas present to you at A Time of Gifts.

Kind regards

The Eden Project
Home of the Eden Trust
Charity Number 1093070  


This is the reply I've had from them folks..so I take it back with my apologises.

[SpeedyMango]

But if you would like to visit and see first-hand what we're up to,
please just contact us again and we'll fix it.

Can we all go? Can we? Can We?

 ;D

I am actually going to be in Cornwall for a week over New Year, staying in  a farmhouse right down at the 'far end' - lots of bracing walks, country pubs and roaring log fires etc.

Might have to try and pop into the Eden Project while I'm there.

[Val]

 ;DYou could always say you're Mrs. Casey ....lol...see what response you get....

[Pixie]

I must say that most places in Cornwall have their Christmas lights on now apart from Bude - not sure when they go on but they are advertising them as - 'come to Bude and get turned on!' Laugh I could have cried! ;D  ;D

I was disapointed though when sis in law who lives in Plymouth and works as a nursery asistant has been told she cannot mention Christmas or anything to do with religion over the holiday period - not even Santa (I know he is not religious) - making cards or angels or decorations for the tree etc incase it offends any one! How stupid is that! >:(

Sam

[SpeedyMango]

I was a little surprised to hear that a teacher friend of ours in Manchester cannot put on a Nativity play around Xmas, due to the non-Christian element in her class.

This might be common practice now (I don't have kids, I wouldn't know) but it seems a little sad to me. Why not teach all the kids about Christmas as well as all the other religious festivals in this multi-cultural world of ours?

[Jill]

I heard it was a case in schools that they have to elect to celebrate ALL the main religions or none at all (unless they are, for example, a Church of England school).

[Mrs Ava]

Number one daughters school have been learning about Diwali over the last few weeks culminating in an assembly to parents and school.  Now they have moved on and are learning how different countries/religions around the world celebrate Christmas, Sweden this week!  ;D  Number one son at nursery also celebrated Diwali, but is now practising good old Jingle Bells and We wish you a merry Christmas, to perform for the parents in a couple of weeks time.  I have no religious knowledge at all and feel that I cannot teach my children much about the religious significance of the various festivals, so I am thrilled that the school gives the kids and insight into other traditions, even if it is just basic.