Teignbridge Matters: Christmas – a time for families

Read Anne Marie’s views in her weekly column; an advertisement sponsored by Conservative supporters.

Christmas – a time for families

Christmas is a time when people come together. No matter what they do, everyone finds a way to celebrate with those who are special to them. It’s a time when churches, community groups, schools, workplaces and families come together to celebrate what is, for most people, one of the most important days in their year.

The family Christmas is one of our great traditions and reminds us all of how the family is the bedrock of our society. The sad thing is, Christmas is the only time many families come together. Peoples’ busy lives and soaring rates of family breakdown mean that fewer and fewer people receive the support that comes from the conventional nuclear family.

The family is where children learn the fundamental skills of life and it’s a proven fact that marriage is the best environment for children so we need to support it and not make it harder for people. We need to remove the disincentives in the tax and benefit systems that make marriage less attractive and support ways of allowing parents flexible working hours so that they can work their family commitments around their job and ensure that children receive all the loving commitment they need.

Those less fortunate

For some people though, Christmas Day will often be no different to any other day and part of the spirit of Christmas is remembering those, like our soldiers in Afghanistan, who will be unable to celebrate. Our thoughts will be with them and many others in conflict zones. We thank them for what they do.

This time of year can also be particularly difficult for the homeless and for many elderly people, for whom Christmas Day can be a lonely time. We must help those in the voluntary sector whose Christmas is dedicated to raising money and providing physical help for others. The voluntary sector or “third sector” as it is called plays a key role. They need more recognition for what they do and more support from government.

Charities like the Salvation Army and local churches do a great job at Christmas and we need to recognise how much more they could do with the right support. Many potential volunteers and donors are put off by unnecessary checks and we need to change this to encourage more people to get involved with such worthy causes.

The Christmas tradition

Children love Christmas and it’s always a pleasure to see how excited they get at the prospect of Santa Claus coming down their chimney and leaving them presents. It’s sad then that Christmas, which was something so innocent when I was a child, has become, from time to time, something of a political football.

There’s a mistaken belief amongst some people that Christmas may offend and this has manifested itself in the way some local authorities have sought to rebrand the period, including one which famously launched a festival known as ‘Winterval’ in the 1990s. All religions deserve respect but we are a Christian country.

EU over-regulation doesn’t help either. Health and safety laws of the sort that have stopped children wearing wings in nativity plays are in danger of taking the fun out of a magical time and we can’t allow our traditions to be ruined. I am looking forward to the round of school plays, pantomimes and carol services – they are really very special.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS.....and lets hope for better things in 2010!