Easter celebrations cancelled at Primary school

Many many English primaries are church schools, established to educate poor local children in Victorian times. They usually pay at least lip service to their C of E basis.
Nobody is obliged to send their children to these happy little family schools. If they do, they can expect them to be taught what Christmas and Easter mean. They’re not obliged to believe it.

Easter bonnets are a celebration of Spring! Eostre was a Pagan goddess, not Christian. The Easter festival later became a Christian event.
What’s wrong with celebrating the arrival of Spring, new life, warmer days, etc.? It doesn’t need to be portrayed as religious. It’s part of our culture. Anyone who doesn’t like it should live somewhere else…

sazz1

I think Jesus would say
Open up your heart, your home and your table ie food, to these poor souls who are fleeing their own country.
Do you have a spare room?

Cold, harsh and snipey sazzl. No I don’t have a spare room. I have worked with those poor souls who are fleeing their own country and done a little voluntary work since I retired.

theworriedwell

Allira

theworriedwell

A church service is a different matter but people seem very focused on the bonnets.
Unless it's a C of E, Catholic or Anglican church then a church service is a different matter but I think posters are focused on the bonnets because Miss Mander stopped both the service and the bonnet parade.

The bonnet parade is just a bit of fun which young children enjoy and helps them with their creativity. It seems quite mean-spirited to ban that even if she wants her school to be completely secular.
I presume the Easter holidays have been re-named as the Spring holidays too?

Personally, I think learning about all religions and why we celebrate certain events with festivals is part of education. Learning about each other is important and teaches understanding and respect instead of fear.

But telling children that Easter bonnets are part of Christianity is misleading. It's cultural in some parts of the UK but it isn't religious anymore than the elf on the shelf is.

I don't like that Elf on the Shelf, nasty creature.

But I shall be decorating my Easter bonnet.

Despite the fact that the head has said children will take part in all the usual Easter crafts, and celebrate Easter in classes, some are still looking to cause trouble. I'm reading online there's going to be a demonstration outside the school today. Really hoping it doesn't take place as its very intimidating for parents, teachers and the children.

sazz1

Despite the fact that the head has said children will take part in all the usual Easter crafts, and celebrate Easter in classes, some are still looking to cause trouble. I'm reading online there's going to be a demonstration outside the school today. Really hoping it doesn't take place as its very intimidating for parents, teachers and the children.

Where have you read this please sazzl?

Why did she make it a thing to write to parents saying she was cancelling the Easter parade. Children love this sort of occasion. I feel she intended to invite trouble to her door.

She had a meeting with parents and the result of it was not to parade to the church anymore for an Easter Service. She has said they will be celebrating Easter.

A few parents weren't happy but most were. Asking children from different backgrounds (some presumably just atheist) to parade to a Church is not at all common anymore unless you perhaps are a C of E school.

Children of different faith backgrounds are quite happy to celebrate Christmas as we have seen , in the school, but to parade through the streets?

Then the red tops got the story and made it into a shock horror big deal end of the world type thing

ignoring how few schools actually do it anymore.

I hope the school will be allowed some space to work things out and the media also.

Re a demonstration - a group did threaten it a few days ago, whether it will happen we'll have to see?

Easter bonnets every year.

I bet by the time they get to Year 6 they’re thoroughly bored with Easter bonnets.

Again…….🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

Allira I hope you realise if you don't have the elf on the shelf you've cancelled Christmas, denied Christmas and ruined years of tradition. Don't try saying you'll go to Midnight Mass and think that makes up for it. 😂

Wyllow3

She had a meeting with parents and the result of it was not to parade to the church anymore for an Easter Service. She has said they will be celebrating Easter.

A few parents weren't happy but most were. Asking children from different backgrounds (some presumably just atheist) to parade to a Church is not at all common anymore unless you perhaps are a C of E school.

Children of different faith backgrounds are quite happy to celebrate Christmas as we have seen , in the school, but to parade through the streets?

Then the red tops got the story and made it into a shock horror big deal end of the world type thing

ignoring how few schools actually do it anymore.

I hope the school will be allowed some space to work things out and the media also.

Re a demonstration - a group did threaten it a few days ago, whether it will happen we'll have to see?

You aren't following the Trump tradition of ignoring the facts.

love0c

Why did she make it a thing to write to parents saying she was cancelling the Easter parade. Children love this sort of occasion. I feel she intended to invite trouble to her door.

All children love it? When as a Catholic I wasn't allowed to do the walk to the local CofE church, other kids were fed up they had to do it. I was the envy of my class.

TiggyW

Easter bonnets are a celebration of Spring! Eostre was a Pagan goddess, not Christian. The Easter festival later became a Christian event.
What’s wrong with celebrating the arrival of Spring, new life, warmer days, etc.? It doesn’t need to be portrayed as religious. It’s part of our culture. Anyone who doesn’t like it should live somewhere else…

In the Holy Land they thought it was Passover. I wonder if they realised it wasnt and that the Romans timed the crucifixion to fit in with a pagan festival.

"You aren't following the Trump tradition of ignoring the facts."

Oh no! I must have that syndrome......(forgotten its name)

theworriedwell

Allira I hope you realise if you don't have the elf on the shelf you've cancelled Christmas, denied Christmas and ruined years of tradition. Don't try saying you'll go to Midnight Mass and think that makes up for it. 😂

😯

You just made me cry theworriedwell 😥
Oh dear.

Ps 🤥

The worried well - making things and dressing up!

love0c

The worried well - making things and dressing up!

Some kids don't like making things and dressing up. Do you think all children like the same things? So some children like dressing up and some don't.

I can just imagine how thrilled my sons would have been if they'd been told to decorate a bonnet and then wear it.

I’d never heard of an Easter Bonnet parade/event until this hoo ha kicked off, I’m rather pleased my children, aka me, didn’t have to make one. I had enough working full time with other last minute school panics for cookery ingredients/costumes etc

Jaxjacky

I’d never heard of an Easter Bonnet parade/event until this hoo ha kicked off, I’m rather pleased my children, aka me, didn’t have to make one. I had enough working full time with other last minute school panics for cookery ingredients/costumes etc

😁

I believe it was one of the things that was cancelled at this particular school. I'm sure my GC did this when they were in nursery and reception.
Seems fairly innocuous with no religious connotations so surely no problem.

My DD consistently forgot her cookery ingredients, it was me that got my knuckles wrapped at parents' evening. 😯

I did type rapped but autocorrect changed it.

I have never been able to decide if the decision to cast the only three children of colour in my DGDs school as the 3 wise men in the nativity play was a good idea or a racist one. Afterall Mary and the baby Jesus dolls were always pale skinned.
But I took exception to the minister who regaled the Primary one children with a detailed account of of Herod ordering the killing of every first born baby boy. My DGS took the story to heart because he was a first born boy. Every time there was a knock at the door hr ran upstairs and hid under his bed. DGS was quite a sensitive child and reacted badly to the same Minister's graphic description of the horrors of the crucifixion which was totally OTT for a class of 5 year olds.

I dislike the hell, fire, and damnation teachings of Christianity. Fortunately, I haven't seen that approach taught in schools for decades though. Teachers, and religious ministers, should realise how deeply some children are affected by these stories, especially at a young age.
I don't think that was the case at all in the school mentioned, but it is an interesting thought.

Granny23

I have never been able to decide if the decision to cast the only three children of colour in my DGDs school as the 3 wise men in the nativity play was a good idea or a racist one. Afterall Mary and the baby Jesus dolls were always pale skinned.
But I took exception to the minister who regaled the Primary one children with a detailed account of of Herod ordering the killing of every first born baby boy. My DGS took the story to heart because he was a first born boy. Every time there was a knock at the door hr ran upstairs and hid under his bed. DGS was quite a sensitive child and reacted badly to the same Minister's graphic description of the horrors of the crucifixion which was totally OTT for a class of 5 year olds.

I wonder if he was the same Minister who stood and proclaimed that the Nativity story was not factually correct, that the shepherds would not have been in the fields with sheep in winter, that they were all probably stinking because of lack of bathing facilities and Mary wouldn't be wearing a clean white dress either etc. Adults know all that but it rather ruined the magic for the children in the congregation.

Not very Christian, was he, Granny23 😯

What a boring grump he must be - imagine living with someone whose faith squashes the joy out of the greatest story ever told