Dutch preacher against Christmas musical, trees, dinners

Translated from Dutch NOS TV today:

In the Veluwe village of Nunspeet, the preacher of the Gereformeerde Gemeente

a fundamentalist Christian church

and the organizer of a Christmas event argue about the ‘right’ way to celebrate Christmas.

The reason is the So this is Christmas event. That will be held on the market square this weekend, including a musical about the birth of Jesus. The Reverend Schot has distributed a glossy leaflet in which he condemns the event. …

“We don’t need this in Nunspeet”, he says to Omroep Gelderland regional broadcaster.

In the leaflet, the vicar also condemns Christmas trees and Christmas markets: “All kinds of things that in our opinion also have nothing to do with Christmas.”

The flyer went down the wrong way with Sander Klugt, the organizer of the event. “The leaflet is also about Christmas trees and eating together, which is not done, apparently. But to be honest, we are the only ones who actually pay attention to the Christmas story.”

Mr Klugt’s event is not on Christmas day itself. So, one can hardly say it competes with Christmas church services.