Merry WinterLight

Hello people. Remember this?
Christmas is axed in Oxford

Council leaders in Oxford have decided to ban the word Christmas from this year's festive celebrations to make them more 'inclusive'.

Here's how the ban is enforced on Oxford City Council website (below the jump):

That's my highlighting there.
It appears that 'axing Christmas' involves advertising tickets for the Christmas carol service on the front page of your website. And 'banning' the word 'Christmas' involves, er, using the word 'Christmas'.

There's more below the fold. You lucky people

Here's how Oxfordshire Council have scrapped Christmas on their website:

I've been at the highlighting again
By advertising an advent calendar (that is advertised with the words 'Happy Xmas' when you first enter the site, with 'sustainable Christmas tips' once you click through), free Park & Ride at Christmas, and 'Fire Safety at Christmas' tips. In an uncanny coincidence, Oxfordshire Council also bans the word 'Christmas' and cleverly replaces it with 'Christmas'.

And what about 'Oxford Inspires', the charity that came up with the WinterLight programme of events that inspired tall tales about a 'ban'?

Gah! There's a WinterLight advent calendar on the front page! What kind of politically correct abominations appear in the list of events there?

Me again
Christmas light switch ons. Christmas Crafts and Shopping. Christmas Fairs and Celebrations. Hey, I've just had a strange thought. Do you think that when the Observer said the word 'Christmas' had been banned and that Christmas had been axed in Oxford, it was talking cobblers?

I mean, here is a website listing all the Christmas light switch ons in Oxfordshire with big green ticks to show that the Christmas lights have been switched on.

Except for NORTH PARADE OXFORD because it has been BANNED - oh, hang on. No it hasn't. It just isn't due to happen until this Wednesday, when:

The North Parade Avenue Christmas Festivities will be in association with BBC Radio Oxford's 'The Big Christmas Carol' which will be part of a city wide celebration of carol singing. We plan to begin our own festivities at 6pm and join in with BBC Radio Oxford who begin their broadcast between 7.30 - 8.30pm - and hope we should still be going strong to finish off at 9pm. We also have the Rotary Club Santa Sleigh at the entrance to the Avenue, and stalls selling: roast chestnuts, chocolates, pashminas, fair trade goods, olives/olive oil, BBQ, mulled wine, mince pies and soup. There will be late night shopping - and our lights are on all year round!

The heathens!

Incidentally, in the first event on the Oxford Inspires 'Christmas Fairs and Celebrations' section includes a Punch and Judy Show and a firework display. According to Smellyface, both of those have been banned because of PC and 'Elf 'n' Safety. So we have stuff that has been banned because of the PC Brigade happening at an event that has been banned because of the PC Brigade advertised on a PC Brigade organisation's website. This PC Gone Mad stuff is just wheels within wheels. Made of cacky pants.