An end to the Winterval myth?

From the Daily Mail’s corrections and clarifications column:

We stated in an article on 26 September that Christmas has been renamed in many places Winterval.

Winterval was the collective name for a season of public events, both religious and secular, which took place in Birmingham in 1997 and 1998.

We are happy to make clear that Winterval did not rename or replace Christmas.

This will also appear on page two of today’s print copy of the Daily Mail. The correction has also been added to the bottom of the Melanie Phillips column which included the original claim.

It’s jolly nice of them to finally admit what many have been saying for a long, long time now (see here, here and here..

However, one wonders if this admission truly marks an end to the seemingly invincible Winterval myth, or serves merely as an embarrassing admission that can be quickly and conveniently forgotten the next time a boilerplate “Christianity is under attack” story is called for.

I suppose only time will tell…

(Go again and read Kevin Arscott’s comprenhensive essay on the Winterval myth. See also Sim-O and Dave Cross.)