Westminster Abbey adds Hindu snowmen to Christmas displays

'Tis the season ... to be kooky:

Some Anglican clergy have added a multicultural twist to Christmas decorations, adding Hindu snowmen, a Chinese dragon and a Jewish temple to the lawn where the traditional scene of a baby Jesus, angels, and the three wise men used to be displayed alone.

“Strictly speaking, the message of Christmas is about the birth of Christ, but it has a much broader message of peace and goodwill,” said Hedges.

Westminster Abbey will showcase life-size snowmen with turbans and bindi dots on their foreheads to send out the message that Christmas is not exclusively for Christians.

The Diocese of Liverpool will stage a nativity that features a Chinese dragon and lantern procession. (Christian Today)

Aside from providing good "photo caption call" fodder, this is such malarkey.

... though I'd love to see the Chinese Dragon take on the Hindu snowmen!

(Related: Barack and Michelle Obama are appearing in Italian nativity scenes this year.)

And if you're looking for a little sanity in all this madness, run to Fr. James Schall:

".... my theory about the elimination of Christmas is more subtle than just prejudice or bigotry, which also exists. “Tis the season to be jolly.” You cannot celebrate something for no reason. All holidays were originally holy days. Celebrations could not be something simply “man-made.” They have to arise out of what is unexpected, startling, transcendent, too good to be true. We do not have holidays just to have holidays..."

And we don't put up Nativity Scenes just to get rid of that extra wood we had lying in the back yard.