LIDL Airbrushes crosses from food?!

PC brigade strikes again

I think it’s crazy. Big businesses, the government, the BBC etc have all become so terrified of upsetting anyone that they are wiping life out of everything. What really makes me cross is the dumbing down of Christmas to the ‘Holiday Season’ or the ‘Winter Festival’. I make a point of only sending Christmas cards with a nativity theme.

Christinefrance Sorry? What is PC brigade?

bmthbelle13 I agree with you entirely.

Who cares? I don’t!

do I detect a case of xenophobia here?

I doubt if any other religions have complained - just some silly marketing department making problems for themselves.

A bit melodramatic to state that you'll never shop in LIDL again.

This is old news and Lidl have already apologised. But weirdly, I did care, because this stupid move meant that we had a week or so of online debate as to why “they” were offended by the cross and “we” had to accept minarets on other Lidl packaging. When in fact nobody at all had been offended or had complained.

The PC (politically correct, giulia) brigade in this sort of case stir up division where there is none. In a local multicultural school Christmas celebrations were cancelled one year as the Christian headteacher thought them inappropriate and culturally insensitive. Apart from it being the most miserable December ever, the Muslim parents complained that there was no carol service or Christmas Fair and their Reception children were missing out on being in the Nativity play.

LIDL don't just airbrush out crosses. They have a policy of not showing any religious symbols. It means that they can keep the packaging the same wherever they sell the product thereby keeping costs and prices down.

As usual the media have simply latched onto the crosses to stir up trouble.

I spent most of my working life in a large town with one of the most diverse populations in the UK (as I keep private I don't want to name it). According to those who had worked in other, similar places, it was one of the best integrated and most friendly. I certainly enjoyed my time there.
We frequently fended off allegations (at least 3 of which made national news) that something was 'banned' or we were renaming festivals. All untrue.
The nearest was a lantern procession, bonfire and fireworks held every year on a Saturday to accommodate November 5th, Halloween/ All Souls, St. Martins and Diwali. We had an annual St. George's Day Parade with all schools and youth groups taking part.
Schools made their own decisions about plays, assemblies etc. All religions encompass a variety of views, and at my children's school some Christian parents objected to Nativity plays. Some traditional Muslims subscribe to the idea that humans should not try to represent things created by God, and they dislike the idea of Jesus being represented by someone's doll. But inventive teachers can make some lovely plays that portray the Xmas message, and I have very happy memories of my children's plays.

So whenever I hear one of these stories, I wonder what the truth really is.

Looks as though Lidl just want to maximise their markets - it's what businesses do.

It’s the sort of journalism designed to trigger a paroxysm of pearl-clutching.
Storm,

I didn’t mean I didn’t care about the latent xenophobia and problems this causes Maggie.

I do care about is how easily and predictably some people react and how that is the exact reaction the media, or rather certain elements, of the media hope to stir up.

What I don’t care about is what religious symbolism of any kind is removed from food packaging.

At my grandchildren's Nativity Play last year the one of the lead roles was taken by a Buddhist, and very good he was too!

I've never thought about it before but I've worked on Nativity plays with Muslim, Christian, Hindu and no faith children and of every colour and background possible. I didn't even think about what they were when I cast children. Looking back one year Joseph was a Hindu and Mary was a Muslim. Another year the Angel Gabriel was a brilliant, tubby, tall for her age black girl. A couple of parents of blonde petite girls complained because they thought Gabriel should be blonde but that was jealousy.

I've never come across a ban on Christmas or calling it the "Holiday season" etc.I think these silly stories are made up to CAUSE divisivness...and in some cases it obviously works .Who says Gabriel should be BLONDE ,for goodness sake ,dont they realise its all myths and legends ...none of its true

Gabriel is a male anyway

Jalima1108 Yes, I thought that as well. I don't know whether it is a catholic thing, but I was brought up to believe all angels are male.

Nothing to do with the so-called PC Brigade, just the usual media collection of half=truths, etc. to try to stir up division. Remember my old Dad telling me 'Whatever you read in the newspapers, remember, half of it is lies, and the other half is not the truth'
My family are all happily atheists, always the children have joined in any celebration, Christmas, Hanukah, Chinese New year, Diwali, Ede - good to have an reason for a celebration and a party!!!

One year we tried to get the boys to be angels but they all cried because angels wear 'dresses'

Well Lidl 'fessed up to this nonsense and apologised, so on this occasion all the media did was report it.