Christmas!

Christmas is here! Apparently in a few places, it no longer is! A large number of organisations in Europe have banned decorations & Christmas parties on the fear of offending employees from minority religions.
There has been widespread derision at what is perceived as political correctness carried too far. At the same time, it has surprised many that firms are very serious about this move and they see a genuine need for such curtailment. All in all...not too much holiday spirit to share.

Christmas is here too! Imagine my surprise when I walked into office (MNC company in India) only to find a very detailed Nativity scene set out - complete with white cotton wool for snow (I am not sure Bethlehem ever had snow). Inside the reception area a large Christmas tree ringed with loads of gilt paper, bells, stars and what not. Every floor had some sort of decoration or posters announcing Christmas parties!Curioser and curioser, wouldn't you say?

The instinctive reaction is to pat ourselves on the back and say "Look at the blundering West...they have no clue how to handle multiple religions. Look how tolerant we are!". Stop..pause...tap your left foot..scratch your nose...reconsider. Maybe we are being too smug...how come we don't have any Iftar parties - as good an excuse as any to stuff our faces. Maybe it is that we are too secure in being a majority Hindu country that we are able to toss a few paltry, overt gestures of tolerance to communities that rarely represent a threat. I mean, "Id Mubarak" doesn't quite have the jolly ring of "Merry Christmas...Ho Ho!", does it?