Some people are not going to have a Merry Christmas. The National Council of Churches recently expressed displeasure with the Disney-themed Christmas decorations along Orchard Road. The festive decorations are part of a 3-year collaboration between the Singapore Tourism Board and Disney.
Their beef is that the Disney theme did not reflect the true spirit of Christmas. "Christmas, at its heart, is a festival in the Christian calendar, which commemorates the incarnation and birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."
The council also complained that Christmas, compared to other festive occasions, is too commercialised and profit-oriented. They recognise that it is a season of gift-giving but wanted the relevant authorities to do more in preventing it from turning into a money-making venture.
"It is against such a backdrop that this year's light-up is particularly disappointing for us. We are not against the use of Disney characters per se, but we wonder if they should be the focus of what is essentially a Christian festival. The original meaning of Christmas has been effectively buried under the thick layer of this extensive and sophisticated brand promotion exercise."
Poor Elsa. She didn't even do anything. Why make a mountain out of a molehill?
