JENI O’DOWD: Stop trying to steal Christmas in the name of multiculturalism. Festive cheer brings joy & unity

Unbelievable. It’s only July, and the woke brigade is already preparing to wind back Christmas — the annual, absurd left-wing debate that rears its head every year.

The latest outrage comes, not surprisingly, from Greens councillor Rafaela Pandolfini. The same person who decided to politicise Anzac Day by showing up at this year’s dawn service in a pro-Palestinian traditional Arab headdress.

Now she is saying some (but not all) of the money set aside for Randwick Council’s very popular annual Christmas events in Sydney’s east should be used to create a multicultural festival — that is, $300,000 from the Christmas budget of about $500,000.

“Half a million is an astronomical amount of money to be spending on decorations and wreaths when not everyone recognises or celebrates Christmas,” Cr Pandolfini told The Daily Telegraph.

“There’s also a cost on the environment because Christmas decorations go up and down for a couple of weeks.”

Is she serious? As former NSW premier Bob Carr once said, multiculturalism doesn’t require Hindus to wind back Divali, Muslims to wind back Ramadan or Jews to wind back Yom Kippur. Nor should it require Christians to wind back Christmas.

Cr Pandolfini is out of touch with her community. Her narrow-minded view dismisses the joy and unity that Christmas brings. The decorations, the lights, the carols — all these elements foster a sense of togetherness that is especially needed this year amidst a cost-of-living crisis, soaring rents, and unaffordable housing. Let’s be happy!

Randwick Council hosts one of Sydney’s most significant celebrations of Christmas cheer. The popular Coogee carols and fireworks show draw huge crowds to the beachside suburb every year.

If environmental impact is genuinely a concern, surely the solution lies in adopting sustainable practices, not cancelling or winding back celebrations. And isn’t New Year’s Eve our annual multicultural festival?

Let’s not forget the positive impact on local businesses when Christmas celebrations are held and the significant increase in donations to charities (estimated by as much as 40 per cent) as it’s a time of giving.

While the nation’s religious landscape is diverse and changing, in Australia’s 2021 census, Christianity remained the most prominent religion, with 43.9 per cent of Aussies identifying as Christian.

About 38 per cent had no religion, with Islam making up 3.2 per cent of the population, Hinduism 2.7, Buddhism 2.4, Sikhism 0.8 and Judaism 0.7 per cent.

In Sydney’s eastern suburbs — where Randwick Council is based — Christianity is the most common religion, with other religions present, including Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Judaism is notably significant in the eastern suburbs, particularly in Bondi and surrounding neighbourhoods.

And, of course, you do not have to be a Christian to celebrate Christmas. While Christmas originated as a Christian holiday, it is now a widely recognised and celebrated cultural event worldwide.

Regardless of their religious beliefs, many people partake in Christmas traditions and festivities. It’s an opportunity for people to come together. The joy, generosity, and goodwill associated with Christmas resonate with people of all backgrounds, making it a universally appealing celebration.

But Cr Pandolfini’s comments are not the first — nor will they be the last — that we have seen attempting to undermine traditional celebrations in the name of inclusivity.

Remember when Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore was accused of watering down Christmas celebrations in Sydney’s CBD and called The Grinch Who Stole Christmas?

She quickly denied the reports, but not before the then-prime minister John Howard said any such move was “political correctness from central casting; it is unbelievable”.

He also pointed out he — like most of us — had never met a Jewish person or a Muslim Australian who wanted Christians to stop celebrating Christmas.

These efforts to erase or dilute our cultural heritage under the guise of progress are so wrong.

Inclusivity should mean adding more celebrations, not cancelling or downplaying existing ones.

But I’m sure we will see the usual calls for Christmas to be named the holiday season, for kids not to hand out candy canes to their mates and for workers to hold festive celebrations instead of Christmas parties.

It’s called Christmas cheer for a reason, Cr Pandolfini. Maybe you should focus on fixing potholes and improving garbage collection instead.