To be inclusive of all religions and to adjust to a "changing world," a school in Sweden has decided to remove any references to Christianity in the carol "Now Light 1,000 Christmas Lights."
A grandfather was so disappointed with the decision made by Åmål's municipal child and youth administration that he penned an open letter lamenting how society's influence has negatively impacted well-loved holiday traditions. "Our old Swedish Christmas traditions and carols contribute to bringing Christmas spirit. This is a tradition we should uphold," he wrote.
The lyrics with Christian references from the carol such as "born of the Lord Jesus Christ" and "a ray of God's love's light" have been removed. The grandfather is saddened by this, saying it diminishes the fact that Christmas is a religious feast. The phrase "star of Bethlehem" has even been changed to "star over all of us."
The grandfather said schools should "bring an end to this special treatment for newly arrived students," adding that "the idea was that [migrants] would be integrated into Swedish society and not vice versa."
"We shouldn't be afraid of our Swedish traditions. Soon we'll have none left," he concluded.
In response, Åmål's municipal child and youth administration issued a statement explaining the school's decision to make "appropriate selection of verses from different songs and hymns." The administration explained that they wanted to allow "all students regardless of nationality and religion" to participate in the festivities, according to Breitbart News.
Replacing "Bethlehem" with "all of us" is actually a "commendable" move, the school explained, since "the wording then allows the star to shine on all of us."
"Protecting Swedish traditions is important, but raising their sights so that they have the courage to meet a changing world is another important task for the school and community to relate to," the administration added.
