Last updated 14:35, Wednesday, 26 November 2008

It's no wonder your columnist ‘The Reiver’ prefers to remain a nameless nobody.

In the recent piece about the word ‘seasonal’ (News & Star, November 24), he scoffed at the idea of Tullie House using such a generic term and went on to state “the situation is worse in America where references to Christmas are being steadily eroded in favour of the ‘holiday’ season”.

I’m from New York where there are people of many faiths. We celebrate ‘the holiday season’ which can include Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and the New Year. You can send a ‘Season’s Greetings’ card to your Jewish friends and your Christian friends. (I’m lucky to have both).

Even if you are a person of no faith, the ‘festive’ or ‘holiday’ season seems inclusive, and that might be something for the Reiver to learn as Carlisle becomes more diversified.

CYNTHIA CLAYTON
Wreay