Christmas controversies that shocked the world

Swedish kids in church - Sweden passed a law in 2011 that stated that public schools should be non-confessional. This has caused so much controversy amongst Swedes that in 2012 a protest letter was signed by 80,000 people demanding that schoolchildren should still be allowed to visit churches and attend religious rituals.

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Xmas - In the late 1960's, church minister and far-right political organizer Gerald L. K. Smith called the word 'Xmas' blasphemous because it omitted the name of Christ and because 'X' is used as a symbol for an unknown quantity.

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Xmas - However, the use of 'X' can actually be traced back to Orthodox Christian religious icons. The letter 'X' is the letter 'Chi' in the Greek alphabet, and is used to represent Jesus, particularly when paired with the Greek letter 'Rho,' forming the 'Chi Rho' symbol (pictured here).

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Christmas stamps -

In 2004, the Church of England complained about the removal of religious images from postage stamps during the holiday season.

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A Christmas carol at the court -

Charles Dickens' 1843 book 'A Christmas Carol' was a huge hit. As such, a number of unauthorized editions were published shortly after. Dickens filed lawsuits against the publishers, winning them all.

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Christmas lyrics -

A Christmas concert at a school in Canada caused controversy amongst some parents when the word 'Christmas' was replaced by the word 'festive' in the song 'Silver Bells.'

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Skeleton Santa -

Residents of Leesburg, Virginia were shocked to find a crucified skeleton Santa displayed in front of a courthouse. Apparently this was a criticism against consumerism and how it was destroying the real meaning of Christmas.

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Christmas sweaters - What might seem funny for some people can be offensive to others. Hallmark was accused of being homophobic with their Christmas sweaters.

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Christmas sweaters - This was because Hallmark changed the word 'gay' for 'fun' where the original lyrics on the sweater would've read “Don we now our gay apparel."

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Winter Night -

In 2009, the city council of Dundee, Scotland was heavily criticized after promoting supposedly Christmas celebrations as the "Winter Night" light festival.

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Zombie nativity scene -

Despite being displayed on a private front yard, this nativity scene in Ohio was targeted by various religious groups that found it offensive. The people who created the scene were eventually fined and ordered to take it down.

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Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer -

According to a Huffington Post article, Santa's ninth reindeer was marginalized and bullied by other reindeer and Santa himself. The classic TV show was described as "seriously problematic."

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Starbucks polar bear cookies -

What could go wrong with Starbucks selling cookies in the shape of polar bears wearing red scarves? Some people mistaking the red scarf for blood and being offended by it.

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Turkey protests -

In 2013, a Muslim youth group launched an anti-Santa Claus campaign. This was followed in 2015 by various political and religious activists who organized protests against the influence of Christmas and Santa Claus in the country.

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Schoolchildren church visits -

Some organizations in Norway opposed the idea of schoolchildren visiting local churches for Christmas services. These visits have been a common practice in the country during the month of December.

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Nazi Christmas - The Nazis saw Christmas as an opportunity for propaganda. They wanted National Socialism for the first time systematically interpreted as a political religion.

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Nazi Christmas - The Nazis decided to replace traditional Christian songs with their own versions, featuring pro-Nazi lyrics.

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Family sued over Christmas display -

A family from Florida puts on a Christmas spectacle every year at the front of their house and yard. But eventually their local city council decided to put on the Grinch hat and sue them. A court, however, found the city was unable to demonstrate how the display harmed the city or caused a disturbance, and the defendants won the case.

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Christmas controversies that shocked the world

From banning Christmas to zombie nativity scenes

20/12/18 | StarsInsider

LIFESTYLE Christmas

Christmas is celebrated in many parts of the world, and while some people love the holiday season, others not so much. From lawsuits to religious uproar, this jolly time of the year has ruffled some feathers throughout the centuries.

Browse through this gallery and get to know the hottest controversies surrounding Christmas.