[Tom4784]

I imagine the CofE schools will still stick to the traditional nativity but it's not surprising to see other schools deviate from it. When I was in Primary School I hated doing the Nativity apart from one year when they changed it up a bit.

When you're made to do it every year you've got to spice it up a bit to keep the kids interested.

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

I imagine the CofE schools will still stick to the traditional nativity but it's not surprising to see other schools deviate from it. When I was in Primary School I hated doing the Nativity apart from one year when they changed it up a bit.

When you're made to do it every year you've got to spice it up a bit to keep the kids interested.

Really, there doesn't seem to be the same need to spice up Halloween, kids are quite happy to dress up year on year and pretend to be the walking dead, and we know that doesn't happen either, its all down to this country's problem with Christianity, as Eyeball Paul has said we are practically falling over backwards to embrace EID and Diwali, but they too are based on stories so I really don't get why people who have no interest in it keep trying to get rid of it, I don't have any interest in EID or Diwali but am happy to let people get on with it. :idc

[Ammi]

...lots of schools don't do traditional Christmas Nativities and haven't done so for a long time..every year I mean...they just do a Christmas Production/Play which varies each time ...sometimes it is a Nativity but it could also be more just 'in the spirit of Christmas'....

[Northern Monkey]

Originally Posted by Ammi

...lots of schools don't do traditional Christmas Nativities and haven't done so for a long time..every year I mean...they just do a Christmas Production/Play which varies each time ...sometimes it is a Nativity but it could also be more just 'in the spirit of Christmas'....

Yeah and that's fair enough if it's by choice.But it should be a choice.If a school wants to do a modern take then that's cool but they also should be able to do a traditional Nativity if they so choose without feeling outside pressure to censor the religious content so we don't upset other religions.Our country bends over backwards to accomodate other cultures but we should'nt be forced to forget our own.Imo.

[kirklancaster]

Originally Posted by EyeballPaul

Yeah and that's fair enough if it's by choice.But it should be a choice.If a school wants to do a modern take then that's cool but they also should be able to do a traditional Nativity if they so choose without feeling outside pressure to censor the religious content so we don't upset other religions.Our country bends over backwards to accomodate other cultures but we should'nt be forced to forget our own.Imo.

Well put Paul.

When it comes to 'upsetting other religions', immigrant 'Cultures' or 'Creeds', I am getting very tired of having to be on the defensive as an English Christian in my own country. A country which just happens to be England, which just happens to still be a Western Christian Democracy - and always will be if I have anything to do with it.

None of the many subtle and not so subtle alterations to our democratic way of life, our customs and traditions, even our laws, over the past 60 years have happened by chance, but slowly and oh so surely, 'Englishness' if not 'Britishness' is disappearing, and it's almost as if some people are now 'ashamed' to be either.

Schools should leave Christmas Nativity plays alone or completely stop performing them and perform something which will better appease and please their School Governors, 'Power Parents' , and Local Councillors -- how about 'The Life And Times Of The Prophet Muhammad'? That should keep everybody happy.

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by EyeballPaul

Yeah and that's fair enough if it's by choice.But it should be a choice.If a school wants to do a modern take then that's cool but they also should be able to do a traditional Nativity if they so choose without feeling outside pressure to censor the religious content so we don't upset other religions.Our country bends over backwards to accomodate other cultures but we should'nt be forced to forget our own.Imo.

..yeah it is totally by choice and quite often also chosen by the children themselves..(the school council..)...they're given the choice of a Nativity or an alternative and they quite often choose the alternative ..but it's always a good children's Christmas Story as well and with a mixture of traditional songs and some more current ones ...personally I think it makes it more interesting for all of us..staff/parents and children, rather than doing the same thing every year ...

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Cherie

[/B]

Really, there doesn't seem to be the same need to spice up Halloween, kids are quite happy to dress up year on year and pretend to be the walking dead, and we know that doesn't happen either, its all down to this country's problem with Christianity, as Eyeball Paul has said we are practically falling over backwards to embrace EID and Diwali, but they too are based on stories so I really don't get why people who have no interest in it keep trying to get rid of it, I don't have any interest in EID or Diwali but am happy to let people get on with it. :idc

Good post indeed Cherie and I agree totally with you.

[kirklancaster]

Originally Posted by joeysteele

Good post indeed Cherie and I agree totally with you.

Ditto.

[Crimson Dynamo]

I am amazed no school has tried to do a mock beheading take on the nativity

[Northern Monkey]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

I am amazed no school has tried to do a mock beheading take on the nativity

Nothing would surprise me these days.

[JoshBB]

Kids enjoy it, leave them be. Yes it's religious but you don't need to be a christian to celebrate christmas traditions.

[Marsh.]

Remove the religious figures?

Uh, they do realise what the nativity is based on, right?

I understand them doing a Christmas play/concert that isn't a nativity but it's pointless to try and "modernise" the nativity itself because it defeats the purpose.

[armand.kay]

My school never did a nativity play the year 5 would just do a different Christmas play every year. My year 5 group did A Christmas carol.

[kirklancaster]

Originally Posted by armand.kay

My school never did a nativity play the year 5 would just do a different Christmas play every year. My year 5 group did A Christmas carol.

Exactly - No problem with that.

[the truth]

Originally Posted by armand.kay

My school never did a nativity play the year 5 would just do a different Christmas play every year. My year 5 group did A Christmas carol.

no doubt your old school will be doing muhammad plays soon , or else

[armand.kay]

Originally Posted by the truth

no doubt your old school will be doing muhammad plays soon , or else

No. Muslims wouldn't want their prophet to be degraded like that.

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by armand.kay

No. Muslims wouldn't want their prophet to be degraded like that.

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by armand.kay

My school never did a nativity play the year 5 would just do a different Christmas play every year. My year 5 group did A Christmas carol.

..and that’s a great Christmas story for children as well, Armand...just in the same way that I don’t think that schools should exclude stories that have religious attachments, I also don’t think that they should exclude those that haven’t if they also relay a very good Christmas message to children just because they’re not based on the birth of Christ....I also think that it’s ok to put a ‘modern touch’ on the Nativity as well..we did that one year and had the Three Kings as XFactor judges...

[Crimson Dynamo]

Im just posti g to see if my name has changed

[Crimson Dynamo]

Oh good

[kirklancaster]

Originally Posted by Scrooge

Oh good

Nuts. (love nuts at Chrimbo - all kinds)

[Scarlett.]

Meh, children hate doing the nativity, unless they're one of the special ones would get to be Mary/Joseph.

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Chewdolph

Meh, children hate doing the nativity, unless they're one of the special ones would get to be Mary/Joseph.

Pushy parent alert

[kirklancaster]

Originally Posted by Chewdolph

Meh, children hate doing the nativity, unless they're one of the special ones would get to be Mary/Joseph.

Children don't like going to school Chewy, but I don't see anybody altering schools and turning them into Amusement parks.

[Scarlett.]

Originally Posted by kirklancaster

Children don't like going to school Chewy, but I don't see anybody altering schools and turning them into Amusement parks.

Adding silly characters to plays isn't anything new, they did it back all the way back in the 90s, hell the school nativity I was in had three astronauts instead of three wise men That would have been 2001, I think.