Royal Mail accused of stamping out true meaning of Christmas

13 April 2012

Royal Mail has been accused of cutting the true meaning of Christmas from its new set of festive stamps.

The stamps feature a snowman, a reindeer, Father Christmas and a Christmas tree - but no trace of the Bible story.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "The issue is about celebrating Christmas. We celebrate all the elements of Christmas."

But the choice of subjects left churchmen wondering when stables, angels, shepherds, wise men, mangers, Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus ceased to count as elements of Christmas.

A spokesman for the Church of England said it "regretted" the Royal Mail decision.

Theological college principal Dr Christina Baxter, a leading member of the Church's parliament, the General Synod, added: "I deeply regret that the Royal Mail have failed to notice that there is a religious festival at the heart of Christmas.

"The whole nation fully understands that this is a Christian festival. Christian symbols on stamps would be welcomed by the great majority of people."

The decision to drop any Christian symbol from the festival that marks Christ's birth comes at a sensitive time for Christians. Many feel increasingly under pressure to downplay or sideline their beliefs.

British Airways recently told a check-in worker that she cannot wear a cross in a job where she meets the public. It applies no such ban, however, in the case of Muslims who choose to wear full veils.

Christian groups are also currently engaged in protest campaigns against the BBC TV series Spooks, which featured a story about a Church of England bishop orchestrating the murder of an Islamic extremist; and against efforts by authorities and student unions in several universities to suppress Christian groups on the grounds that they do not accept gay rights policies.

Christmas stamps were introduced 40 years ago. Since the 1960s, religious themes have appeared in most years. But in 2004, after none had featured for four years, the Church of England complained.

Royal Mail insisted that religious symbols were inappropriate because stamps serve a multifaith society.

However, a Christian image - a man and woman with Hindu markings worshipping the infant Christ - appeared again last year. Royal Mail said last night it was alternating its designs between religious and non-religious cards each year.

The 2006 stamps, which go on sale today, include first and second class stamps in two sizes, reflecting the new pricing system, introduced in August, which is based on the size, weight and thickness of items.

A number of state organisations and private companies have made efforts to drain the Christmas story from Christmas in recent years.

Birmingham council notoriously called its festive celebrations 'Winterval' and Luton advertised its Christmas lights as 'luminos'.

Christmas cards sent out by public bodies have, almost without exception, been stripped of any Christian references.

Seasonal advertising by U.S. firms such as Coca Cola and Gap has also avoided any mention of the word Christmas, and Gap in particular has referred to the seasonal celebrations as 'Holiday'.

According to the last national census, in 2001 more than seven out of ten of the population said they were Christian.

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