How the Christmas spirit is being 'cancelled': Festive fairs are renamed 'winter markets', light displays are scrapped and 'woke' activists take offence over 'pigs in blanket' cards - as killjoys axe England's oldest market due to 'crowd crush fears'

Councils and events organisers are facing a backlash over the perceived 'cancelling of Christmas' after festive markets are scrapped or renamed, light switch-ons axed and people are outraged over pigs in blankets Christmas cards.

England's oldest Christmas market in the city of Lincoln was called off this year over a 'significant risk to public safety', as market organisers around the UK blame rising costs, falling footfall and crowd safety as key concerns.

Other markets are being rebranded as 'Winter markets' in a bid to be more inclusive, as markets in Brighton and Felixstowe have also been called off.

With light displays also cut around the UK as cash-strapped councils try and balance their budgets, some are facing accusations they have 'cancelled Christmas'.

But experts have pointed out that the UK, unlike other European countries, does not have a long history of hosting Christmas markets - only seeing the first arrive in 1982. 

Renaming Christmas markets 

A popular Christmas market in Durham has been at the centre of controversy in recent weeks after it emerged bosses had renamed it the 'Winter Market' - seemingly in a bid to become more inclusive.

The Bowes Museum, which was founded by the ancestors of the Queen Mother, has this year removed the word 'Christmas' from the event's title.

BBC Antiques Road Trip expert David Harper called for the Durham museum's 'bonkers' decision to be reversed, saying it was deleting Christmas.

Mr Harper claimed the museum was hoping to try and attract more people but was taking the joy out of Christmas.

He told The Sun: 'What's next? Are we going to cancel Santa, the reindeer, children wearing Christmas hats?

'Essentially, all you'll be left with is a Wednesday market. This won't stop until we stop it. We need to nip this in the bud, take control and be a bit braver.'

The Museum's director Hannah Fox strongly disputed the claims. 

She said: 'We have a very popular seasonal programme of events of which the market is the centrepiece.

'It's fabulous and everyone is welcome, however they celebrate over the festive season.'

Elsewhere the BBC reported from an unnamed 'Winter market' in south London - and highlighted how unfestive the occasion was.

Appearing on BBC Radio 4 on Sunday, the market was described as having stalls selling everything from old maps to rusty signs, pancakes and jewellery.

There was even a Polish deli - but when asked whether the Polish community typically eat the sausages on offer at Christmas time, the journalist was told that was not the case.

Food historian Annie Gray told the programme the earliest markets were seen on the continent from the 13th century: 'They weren't Christmas markets as we would know them because Christmas as we would know it wasn't really a thing at that point. 

'Quite apart from anything else if you were living in a Catholic country then advent was a time of fast in the whole of the leadup to Christmas you were eating only non-animal products and the idea of these early markets was they would allow butchers to sell off meat that they'd butchered prior to the winter season.'

She said the first time a Christmas market in the style of those today arrived in the UK was in 1982, adding: 'They're weren't any in the UK, they are an imported thing.'

Cancelled Christmas markets

Last year's four-day event saw 320,000 people flock to the city for its 40th year - but fears of crushes and other crowd injuries have meant the council rejected a last-ditch attempt to secure the future of the event.

In 2022, almost 90 people were treated for injuries and the council had to enforce people-calming measures in order to prevent a crushing disaster.

The event saw huge queues weave around the city's castle, with disgruntled punters describing it as a 'nightmare' and 'claustrophobia simulator'.

Ric Metcalfe, City of Lincoln Council leader, said the decision had been made as the 'current market has gotten way too big' and risked becoming 'unsafe' in the future. 

MP for Lincoln Karl McCartney slammed the decision to cancel the market, saying: 'It doesn't seem rocket science to mitigate and ensure all aspects are catered for'.

Speaking on BBC local radio, he criticised a council decision last week which voted against a motion which sought to ensure a market was considered in Lincoln for 2024.

'It wasn't to say we definitely want to bring the Christmas market... to just look at the possibilities of a different type of Christmas market that was done in a very safe and enhanced manner than previous Christmas markets. 

'The Christmas market is something that not only everybody looks forward to who lives, works, studies or visits Lincoln but you can't even pay for the advertising that gave Lincoln and the county of Lincolnshire.'

Cllr Ric Metcalfe, Leader of City of Lincoln Council, said: 'We understand some people's disappointment that Lincoln Christmas Market is no more. The decision was announced nine months ago on the basis that we simply could not continue delivering an event that had been deemed a significant risk to public safety.

'Lincoln at Christmas remains a stunning place to visit, with lights all across the city centre and our new Ice Trail and traditional festive activities taking place this weekend.'

Brighton joined Lincoln in calling off its market altogether, saying it was facing an 'enormous funding crisis' which meant it could not stump up the £70,000 cost of hosting it. 

Last month Brighton & Hove City Council confirmed its Christmas market would not return after no commercial partner could be found to fund the event - as the council leader blamed low footfall.

Lead councillor for tourism and culture Alan Robins said: 'Organising a Christmas market for the city was always dependent on finding a new commercial partner to help us to fund and co-ordinate the event.

'Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we have been unable to find a partner willing to commit to the project for a single year.'

He continued: 'We wanted to create a different kind of Christmas market this year - because in the two years it was staged it was never actually all that popular with the public, and was also expensive for traders who wanted a pitch there.'

The last two markets in Brighton have been held by an independent events company - but it ended its contract early citing problems caused by Covid and rising costs. 

Event organisers in Felixstowe also named footfall as one of the factors in the decision to cancel.

The Suffolk seaside town traditionally holds a Beach Street Christmas Market at the start of December.

Organiser Karen Stewart told the East Anglian Daily Times she had had come to the 'difficult decision'.

'We didn't have as many people with availability to take part in this market as we had anticipated, or to make the great atmosphere and footfall we've had at previous markets,' she said.

It marks a blow for local business as the decision came just days after two restaurants in the area were both forced to close. 

Last month an Essex market was cancelled part-way through due to safety fears - after wet weather meant there was too much mud. 

The Essex County Christmas Fair, which takes place at Layer Marney Tower, had to be called off by Prestige Country Events as they launched a desperate social media appeal telling people to stop arriving.

On Facebook, a post from the organisers read: 'We cannot let anyone else in... tonight, as the conditions in the car park are too boggy and we don't want anyone else getting stuck in the mud', the BBC reported. 

The three-day event was also cancelled the following evening, as organisers said: 'Do not arrive, event cancelled tonight. Cars stuck in mud.'

A spokesperson added: 'Unfortunately after a year of hard work, huge financial investment and thousands of work hours, we have had to take the incredibly tough decision to cancel the Saturday and Sunday fairs, purely due to the weather.

'The field at the back had become a swamp, with rescue cars being stuck in the mud.'

Cancelled Christmas light switch-ons 

Elsewhere Christmas markets are not the only casualty of this year's festive season - many towns have called off their light switch-ons too.

The Mail previously reported how towns including Bournemouth, Bolton, Medway and Leominster are cancelling the events in order to save cash or as a result of local disruption such as roadworks.

In Bournemouth, the switch-on was ditched after its £44,000 budget was scrapped in a cost-saving exercise - the council currently has a £44million hole in its finances.

Medway Council took similar action and said it would save £75,000 - as they seek to fill a £17million budget gap. 

The decision caused fury among local residents who took aim the council's 'poor financial management' and highlighted other areas where money could be saved instead.

Council leader Vince Maple said: 'We are making these incredibly difficult decisions to reduce the potential overspend and to ensure we can continue to provide essential services that we are required to provide by law.

'There is still much for all our residents to enjoy in the run up to Christmas this year.

'I am pleased local ward councillors are still able to fund a Christmas tree in each town.

'We will continue to work closely with our town centre businesses to explore further ways to support them this Christmas.'

Braintree Council, in Essex, also blamed 'budgetary constraints' for cancelling its official switch-on event.

In August the council said it could 'not support an official switch-on' due to 'budgetary constraints'.

The council still plans to install 'some Christmas lights and a Christmas tree in the town centre', but no official event is going ahead.

Beaminster, in Dorset, followed suit, with a spokesperson saying: 'Beaminster Town Council have made the decision not to host the Christmas Lights Festival in 2023.

'The festival, during which the town's Christmas lights are switched on, is a wonderful start to celebrations in the town, however during these difficult economic times, the council need to be mindful of how funding is utilised.

'The expenditure in organising the 2022 festival was in the region of £11,000, that does not include the many hours of time given by volunteers and Council staff.

'Whilst the event has been popular in the past the Council's priority has to be a safe event for all those who attend and we cannot continue to do this successfully without the support of Council staff and volunteers.

'Unfortunately some staff and volunteers had encountered instances of verbal abuse during the course of the 2022 festival and we were saddened to also learn of this taking place during a number of other community events that we have hosted in the past.'

In Leominster, council bosses said agreed roadworks affecting the town centre meant the switch-on would not be able to go ahead.

A spokesperson for the council told reporters in June: 'Unfortunately it currently looks as though the planned works will prevent the annual Victorian Street Market and Christmas Light Switch-On events from taking place this year.'

Leominster Town Council 'is working closely with local partners to develop an alternative calendar of events to support our businesses and community during the festive period and to reduce the impact of any disruption caused by construction works,' they added.

The annual Christmas market is also cancelled.

'Pigs in blankets' Christmas cards 

Some are even complaining about tongue-in-cheek Christmas cards this year - after Sainsbury's got into hot water over a card which vegans said was the 'unkindest' they'd ever seen. 

The card features an image of two pigs in the snow, with the text reading: 'Don't worry, I hear we're getting some blankets.'

Drawing attention to the card online, an X user wrote: 'I know everyone's sense of humour is different but I think this is the saddest, unkindest Xmas card I've ever seen.'

While some vegans were quick to agree, even some meat-eaters thought the supermarket had gone too far.

One wrote: 'I eat pork, but yeah. That's incredibly bleak and sad.'

Commenting on the matter, a Sainsburys spokesperson said 'We offer a wide range of festive cards and welcome customer feedback on this year's designs'.