Madonna Cancels Christmas

http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=2549

THERE won’t be carols, brandy butter or television. There’ll be hardly any presents, and most traditional, seemingly innocent festive fare has been banned.

Indeed, a rather restricted version of Yuletide spirit will be in evidence in the $11 million London townhouse where Madonna, her director husband Guy Ritchie and their children Lourdes, 11, Rocco, 7, and David Banda, 2, will spend Christmas Day.

As Ritchie recently revealed, the family “cancelled Christmas” two years ago — which means no gifts will be exchanged by the adults.

Ritchie and Madonna, devotees of Kabbalah (a form of Judaism), will give each other wedding-anniversary presents on December 22, and leave it at that. This is not – as many assume – because Madonna is anti-Christian. Somewhat confusingly, she claims to still believe in Jesus.

She does, though, follow the Kabbalah and raises her family within that quasi-religion.

“The deal is that the family hasn’t converted to Judaism, but they do celebrate Jewish festivals,” a friend says.

It’s all bracingly pick ‘n’ mix for the Ritchies.

Somewhat breathtakingly, the main reason for not exchanging gifts is that Madonna is very much against the commercialism of Christmas.

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,23663,22935434-10388,00.html?from=mostpop

2007-12-20