England's oldest Christmas market has been referred to as off in what critics are saying is the most recent instance of the “cancellation of Christmas”.

Lincoln Market has been cancelled after the town council mentioned it had grow to be too common and was now ‘a significant risk to public safety’.

And now native authorities and festive occasion organisers throughout the nation are dealing with a backlash as festive markets are scrapped, mild switch-ons axed and the phrase ‘Christmas’ is changed with ‘winter’.

Markets in Brighton and Felixstowe have additionally been referred to as off whereas a preferred Christmas market in County Durham has been renamed the ‘Winter Market’ - seemingly in an try to grow to be extra inclusive.

The Bowes Museum, which was based by the ancestors of the Queen Mother, has this yr eliminated the phrase ‘Christmas’ from the occasion’s title.

BBC Antiques Road Trip knowledgeable David Harper referred to as for the museum’s ‘bonkers’ resolution to be reversed, saying it was ‘deleting’ Christmas.

Mr Harper claimed the museum hoped to attempt to entice extra individuals however was taking the enjoyment out of Christmas.

He mentioned: “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.”

Cllr Ric Metcalfe, chief of City of Lincoln Council, mentioned: ‘We understand some people’s disappointment that Lincoln Christmas Market is not any extra. The resolution was introduced 9 months in the past on the idea that we merely couldn't proceed delivering an occasion that had been deemed a major danger to public security.”

But MP for Lincoln Karl McCartney slammed the choice to cancel the market, saying: ‘It doesn’t appear rocket science to mitigate and guarantee all points are catered for’.

“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.’

“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.”

Last yr’s four-day occasion noticed 320,000 individuals flock to the town for its fortieth yr - however fears of crushes and different crowd accidents have meant the council rejected a last-ditch try to safe the way forward for the occasion.

In 2022, nearly 90 individuals have been handled for accidents and the council needed to implement people-calming measures in an effort to stop a crushing catastrophe.

Elsewhere Christmas markets aren't the one casualty of this yr’s festive season - many cities have referred to as off their mild switch-ons too.

Towns together with Bournemouth, Bolton, Medway and Leominster are cancelling the occasions in an effort to save money or on account of native disruption corresponding to roadworks.

In Bournemouth, the switch-on was ditched after its £44,000 finances was scrapped in a cost-saving train - the council at present has a £44m gap in its funds.

Medway Council took comparable motion and mentioned it will save £75,000 - as they search to fill a £17m finances hole.

The resolution brought about fury amongst native residents who took goal the council’s ‘poor financial management’ and highlighted different areas the place cash may very well be saved as an alternative.

Some persons are even complaining about tongue-in-cheek Christmas playing cards this yr - after Sainsbury’s acquired into sizzling water over a card which vegans mentioned was the ‘unkindest’ they’d ever seen.

The card options a picture of two pigs within the snow, with the textual content studying:

‘Don’t fear, I hear we’re getting some blankets.’

Drawing consideration to the cardboard on-line, an X person wrote: ‘I know everyone’s sense of humour is totally different however I believe that is the saddest, unkindest Xmas card I’ve ever seen.’

While some vegans have been fast to agree, even some meat-eaters thought the grocery store had gone too far.

One wrote: ‘I eat pork, but yeah. That’s extremely bleak and unhappy.’

Commenting on the matter, a Sainsbury’s spokesperson mentioned ‘We offer a wide range of festive cards and welcome customer feedback on this year’s designs’.

Food historian Annie Gray mentioned the primary time a Christmas market within the type of these at the moment arrived within the UK was in Lincoln in 1982, including:

“There weren’t any in the UK, they are an imported thing.”