Should all fun events in December have to include “Christmas” in their title?

That would seem a pretty far-fetched demand. But what else to make of the complaints from Labour councillor and Methodist Rev Paul Flowers?

Bradford Council has been involved in organising and/or publicising a large number of events this year which feature Christmas, as shown by these examples:

• German Christmas Market
• Christmas Light Switch On Events
• Victorian Christmas Market
• Bradford Christmas Street Market

There’s also the event called “Midwinter Medieval Celebration”.

Clearly Bradford isn’t banishing Christmas, but should it have to stick Christmas in the name of all events?

Well, Rev Paul Flowers has complained (in the Daily Mail):

Why, oh why, must they now resort to the stupidity and banality of advertising a bland “Midwinter Celebration” when the season is clearly Christmas and should be appropriately named as such?

Bradford Council responded quite reasonably,

This year we have held a large number of events including the Christmas lights switch-on, Christmas Carol Concert and a number of Christmas events in our museums and libraries including the Victorian Christmas Market, Christmas card making workshops and the chance to meet Santa Claus.

The Medieval Midwinter event at Bolling Hall was held for the first time last year after the successful Midsummer event. It is planned to be held on the weekend nearest to the Midwinter Solstice and celebrates traditional seasonal activities that are relevant to the history and heritage of the hall and the communities it supported over many centuries.

So unless you’re going to demand that all fun events in December get Christmas in the title, what’s wrong with what Bradford has done?

Of course, the story gave the Daily Mail the chance to roll out the winterval myth once again, but as far as diminishing Christmas goes,this story is one to file in the myth pile too.