“Forced to take a holiday”

Press, 9 April 1980, Page 18

“Forced to take a holiday”

Sir,—l believe we could

have a riot on our hands if Christian .holidays were abandoned, and .we were forced to go to work. It would come not from the Christians, but the “Unbelievers.” Fancy wanting to take away their “right” to have what is now an ideal excuse to indulge in some of the “deadly sins” mentioned in your editorial (April 7). Is it your intention perhaps, to have these holidays replaced with some non-Christian ones, May Day for instance? —Yours, etc., E. M. KIRK. April 7, 1980. Sir, —You are right in saying it is time to abandon the general holidays .of Easter. But when you say “offensive to be compelled to -• take Christian holidays” I suspect a tongue-in-cheek attitude, because most people enjoy holidays. Christmas is meant to be a Christian festival, too. Some years ago I learned that Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday, was then regarded (and probably still is) by some of the heavy-drinking fraternity as the second biggest booze-up of the year. For this and other, reasons I consider that the four-day autumn holiday should be separated from Easter-and placed on a fixed week-end, say the third or fourth week-end in . Maith. But how to go about achieving this? Have you any practical suggestions? I am surprised at your saying that Easter Monday is a “Holy Day,” as that is incorrect.— Yours, etc., U. DROMGOOLE. April 7, 1980.

Sir, —I write to congratulate the author of the leading article of April 7 concerning Christian holy days. No holidays need be abandoned but Christmas and Ea<ster should be shown to be what they originally were instead of fanatic Christians using these breaks as opportunities : to force their opinions on others. As a .non-Christian, I am totally against the incessant blanket propaganda these two festivals enjoy through all branches of the media. Further, I am even more antagonistic towards the commercial exploitation of pagan celebrations that pre-date Christianity- by thousands of years and which

were cunning!} 7 ' accepted then deliberately distorted by the Christians in the cause of their never ceasing aggressive imperialism.. — Yours, etc., ARTHUR MAY. April 7, 1980.

Sir, —Snuggled in my slothful bed, 10 a.m., gluttonous coffee to hand; 1 consider your editorial “Forced to take a holiday.” Oh, sour grape-s; did no-one ask it to a party then? Forced indeed; I, and I am sure some of my brothers and sisters love holidays—period. The implications of your editorial seem to indicate that people have no ability to direct their leisure hours, and therefore must be saved from ' themselves by attending their places of work. Many of us, devoted though we' are to our various callings, are not at all averse to having extra time to show our children a little more of their beautiful country, catch up on household chores or the massive preoccupation of Christchurch gardeners—going to the dump. 'Sir, would you haVe us fdrgo these simple pleasure? Woe in our times. V —Yours, etc., BARBARA CLEMENTS. April 7, 1980.

Sir, — Congratulations on your ' editorial (April 7)-in which you suggest that it-is a violation of “human rights” for unbelievers to have to observe a Christian holiday at Easter and Christmas. On Saturday I happened to mention (when asked by nonChristians) that I would 'be attending Church on Easter Day. I was, scoffed at and treated with derision by nonbelievers, one of whom said that he could worship God on the golf links (but doesn’t). Yet these people idle about drinking and gambling etc., on Christian holidays which have no significance for them. In these times of economic recession the country’s industry and production should not close down for any religious holidays especially when the majority of New Zealanders are not practising Christians. The Church I attended at Easter was packed. It will still be ; packed at Easter, Christmas, or Whitsunday even when the week-day-holidays are abandoned. — Yours, etc., R. BURNS, Lyttelton.' April 7, 1980.