Christmas Cancelled: Christmas celebrated.

This was a headline in a recent edition of the Scarborough Evening News(16/11) with sub headline "Health and safety rules stop town lights switch-on". The switch on tomorrow was meant to have kick started the festive shopping trade for Scarborough businesses and encourage people to shop locally but police and fire officers claimed the event was dangerous, due to expected crowds in limited space. The BBC AND national Newspapers picked up the story and it has been repeated in the USA and other parts of the world. The old saying advices that"all publicity is good publicity" but not everybody is convinced. There is much local outrage. "We have been made a laughing stock" is one opinion. Others think the town's tourist image will have been harmed.

Never mind, Father Christmas will arrive by boat at the harbour tomorrow and be taken by reindeer sledge to a local store. Later there will be a nativity presentation in the shopping area with kings and three live camels - and, of course, bearing presents!

On the other hand Christians(and others) campaign for a simpler more traditional Christmas.
See www.buynothingchristmas.org:
What is Buy Nothing Christmas?
Buy Nothing Christmas is a national initiative started by Canadian Mennonites who offer a prophetic "no" to the patterns of over-consumption of middle-class North Americans. They are inviting Christians (and others) all over Canada to join a movement to de-commercialize Christmas and re-design a Christian lifestyle that is richer in meaning, smaller in impact upon the earth, and greater in giving to people less-privileged.
And www.generous.org.uk:
A Year of Living Generously
…is an online experiment based on a shared hunch that looking after this planet and its people is what we are all here for and that if many of us can make small changes in our everyday choices then over time we can make a big difference for everyone.
And www.simpleliving.org:
In many ways, living simply is easier in the UK than it is in some other parts of the so-called "developed" world, especially the USA. We still have local buses and village shops (well, some anyway, though they are rapidly disappearing). Many of us still hang our clothes out to dry on a clothesline. And many of us still cook our food from scratch, the old-fashioned way, instead of buying readymade meals - and cook it in an ordinary oven. Lots of people in the UK grow their own vegetables, in gardens or allotments. There is a huge resurgence of interest, nowadays, in farmers' markets, organics and "slow food".
Overall, our "ecological footprint" here on these islands is much lower than that of many of our brothers and sisters across the Atlantic. But we still have a long way to go.
Eventually, if the human race is to survive, every one of us will have to learn to live much more simply than most people in our country do nowadays, and use fewer resources.
But this does not necessarily mean hardship.
What I have discovered, in my sixty-eight years of living on this Earth, is that simple living is actually one of the most delightful things we can possibly do.
More and more people are becoming sick of the rat-race, sick of consumerism, sick of all the meaningless getting and having and spending. They are looking for something better.
And www.frugal.org.uk:
Gift Shopping:
Waiting until winter to do your Christmas shopping would seem to be sensible, however it will cost you a lot more. The shopkeepers know you have to buy presents so get away with charging more. Look around the sales and clearouts of old lines throughout the year for gifts - this also takes much of the hassle out of December! If you have very specific items to buy starting your shop early gives you time to compare prices and get the best deal.
And www.familiesonline.co.uk:
Tickle the palate with organic wines You can’t go too far wrong with giving excellent wine or port to a grandparent at Christmas. So why not try an organic version this year? Vinceremos is a specialist organic wine merchant with the accolade of Organic Wine Specialist of the Year 2005 in the current Which? Wine guide. The company sources wines from organic vineyards around the world – from Spain to Chile and New Zealand. They do have a minimum order of one case (12 bottles) but you can always keep some back for the Christmas celebrations too. Prices are pretty average for decent wine. Visit the website at www.vinceremos.co.uk or call on 0113 244 0002.
And finally www.xmasresistance.org:
The growing CHRISTMAS RESISTANCE MOVEMENT is joined in solidarity against the Shopping Season. For every 100 automatons who call you "Scrooge," there's a sparkly-eyed CHRISTMAS RESISTOR who supports YOU in NOT BUYING INTO THE HOLIDAY HYSTERIA.
Together, we boycott Christmas Shopping, Christmas decorations, Christmas cards, and every variety of Christmas Crap. We refuse to support the Holiday Industry. We show our love for friends and family by giving our time and care, not by purchasing consumer goods. We maintain the integrity of giving by giving spontaneously and from our hearts, rather than during a specified season.
You are not alone. Together, we can RESIST CHRISTMAS!

Many ideas here but Christians will not just wish to be against consumerism etc at Christmas. We shall want to highlight the true celebration of the birth of Christ. How? Ah, well, that may begin first with a recovery of the Season of Advent and even that doesn't begin for another couple of weeks yet. Plenty of time for the festival after the fast!