Christian References Axed from Carol to Prepare Children for a ‘Changing World’

A school in Sweden has removed references to Christianity in the carol ‘Now Light 1,000 Christmas Lights’, citing a need to prepare children for a “changing world”, and to be inclusive of all religions.

Åmål’s municipal child and youth administration issued a statement explaining the school’s decision to edit the carol, in response to a letter which noted sadly that Swedish traditions are disappearing.

Disappointed, its author wrote to say his grandson told him that children at the Southern School no longer sing lines of ‘Now Light 1,000 Christmas Lights’ which make reference to religion.

Published in the local press, the letter states: “Our old Swedish Christmas traditions and carols contribute to bringing Christmas spirit. This is a tradition we should uphold.”

The grandfather laments changes made to the carol, which includes the axing of lines such as “born of the Lord Jesus Christ”, and “a ray of God’s love’s light”, so as to remove references to the fact Christmas is a religious feast. He notes that even “star of Bethlehem” has been censored, and changed to “star over all of us”.

The letter’s author suggests that schools “bring an end to this special treatment for newly arrived students”, and writes: “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 notes, sadly.

In a notice on its municipal website, Åmål’s education administration confirmed that the changes highlighted in the letter had taken place, and adding that an “appropriate selection of verses from different songs and hymns” were chosen for the celebration.

The statement says the edits allow “all students regardless of nationality and religion” to participate. The replacing of “Bethlehem” with “all of us”, the school’s management insists, is “commendable”, as “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,” explains the notice.

Earlier this month, Breitbart London reported how a Swedish cultural tradition celebrated for hundreds of years, the annual candlelit Lucia procession, is dying out across the country.

Deputy director of a kindergarten chain, Annika Nylén Nilsson, said the Maria kindergartens dropped St Lucy festivities as they felt the Christian tradition is insufficiently inclusive.