As the festive season rolls in, many traditions mark the beginning of Christmas.

From adding decor to our homes to grand displays, everyone is looking forward to these Christmas staples.

However, a decade-old tradition recently got disrupted, which has concerned locals and some officials.

The MYER Christmas window display has been a cherished tradition in Melbourne for almost decades.

The display draws in crowds of excited families eager to kick off their festive season with a touch of magic.

However, this year's much-anticipated event has been cancelled, leaving many spectators disheartened.

The MYER Christmas window displays have been around for decades, entertaining multiple generations of Melburnians. Image Credit: MYER

The sudden cancellation followed after plans for a protest by an activist group, Disrupt Wars.

This potential disruption led MYER to make the heart-wrenching decision to cancel the opening event, citing safety concerns.

The window display should still be unveiled as scheduled and will remain until 5 January.

While the MYER Christmas window display will still be up this year, Melbourne's festive spirit has been dampened, as the 69-year tradition of unveiling it will not happen this year.

The cancellation sparked an outcry from Liberal MP Sussan Ley.

MP Ley called on the protesters to 'leave Christmas alone', highlighting the disruption it caused to the locals.

'The MYER Christmas window unveiling? Really? And by the way, doing this is not going to convince anyone of your cause,' MP Ley added.

'I just think of the kids, the families that love this excitement on the unveiling.'

'Melburnians and Australians have had a tough year. I hope the state and federal governments do all they can to make sure families can celebrate Christmas in peace,' MP Ley ended.

Along with MP Ley was Federal Education Minister Jason Clare, who echoed her sentiments.

'I hope a bit of common sense prevails here. Melbourne is a big place. Plenty of places to protest without stopping people celebrating Christmas,' Minister Clare added.

While he recognised the right of expression, Minister Clare also emphasised the importance of Christmas.

After the backlash and criticism from several public officials, protest organiser Amy Settal stated that the supposed disruption will not push through anymore.

'The children coming to see the MYER Christmas windows were never a target, because children are not a target,' Settal said.

'In light of MYER’s decision to cancel their window reveal event, planned disruptions will not go ahead.'

With the said disruption already cancelled, MYER has not yet confirmed yet if the unveiling will push through or not.

However, this raised questions about the importance of traditions, especially during the festive season.

Many Australians are now wondering about the future of public celebrations.

The MYER Christmas window display was more than just a festive decoration; it was a symbol of joy, togetherness, and the spirit of the season.

Key Takeaways

• MYER department store cancelled the unveiling event for their Christmas window display due to a planned protest.
• While the launch will not take place, the Christmas wall display will be available until 5 January.
• Liberal MP Sussan Ley criticised the protesters for disrupting a long-standing tradition and expressed her concern for family events around the Christmas season.
• Federal Education Minister Jason Clare called for common sense and to practise freedom of speech without disrupting Christmas celebrations.

What are your thoughts about the cancellation of this year's MYER Christmas window display? Do you have other decade-long Christmas traditions? Share your thoughts and other Christmas festivities with us in the comments section below.

 

[DLHM]

Put it on and throw the bloody protestors in gaol for Christmas. This country is turning into a bunch of pussies FFS. I'M OFFENDED BY THEIR ONION SHAPED TERRORIST BUILDINGS.

Love that comment!! Have had a good hearty laugh at your description of their architecture!!

 

[magpie1]

It's our Governments fault for allowing these immigrants into our Country in the first place....round them all up and send them back home.....we don't need their radicalised bullshit in our Country....they are quickly becoming an unwelcome part of our society and established way of life.....and FFS close the borders to any further immigration, we can't house our own homeless people and the money spent on immigrants would be far better off being spent on helping out our own who are suffering in today's economic climate.

 

[DLHM]

It's our Governments fault for allowing these immigrants into our Country in the first place....round them all up and send them back home.....we don't need their radicalised bullshit in our Country....they are quickly becoming an unwelcome part of our society and established way of life.....and FFS close the borders to any further immigration, we can't house our own homeless people and the money spent on immigrants would be far better off being spent on helping out our own who are suffering in today's economic climate.

YES!!!! You’ve pointed out just what I’ve been thinking @magpie1. I’m fed up with these radical immigrants. Get rid of the vermin. They just incite violence and disruption. Poisoning our country.

 

[Suzanne rose]

Who do they think they are !!! Oh they are going to be trying to run our country soon.

Just because Myers is apparently owned by Jews they want to stop the display from happening this Sunday.

They should just warn them that there will be zero tolerance and any protesters will be jailed. This is now affecting The Australian way of life and our customs.

 

[Littleboy8]

Who do they think they are !!! Oh they are going to be trying to run our country soon.

Just because Myers is apparently owned by Jews they want to stop the display from happening this Sunday.

They should just warn them that there will be zero tolerance and any protesters will be jailed. This is now affecting The Australian way of life and our customs.

It was sold in 2006 to an American company according to the internet and has a Jewish history

 

[Viellarde]

OFFS!! If you don't like our traditions then bugger off back home to your own country!!

Would you believe them......I certainly wouldn't.....stopped it for the kiddies....yeah right!!

Believe them? They planned to disrupt the unveiling because nobody should be celebrating while children are dying in wars. By Nobody, read No Child because the Myer window displays are primarily for children. They have also promised to disrupt any replacement unveiling of said windows. They cancelled for the CHILDREN?

 

[Viellarde]

If I had my way, these protesting dipshits would not celebrate another Ramadan either.

Ever notice how the majority of pro-Palestinian protestors are not even Muslim? Pale skinned, red haired and freckled hypocritical anti Australians.

Death to them all!!!

Rent-a-crowd is still in business?

 

[Pommyoz]

I don’t go along with Christmas, but I object to Myer caving in and spoiling a tradition of many years for OUR children.
Just like the Coon. Cheese company, caving in to the minority, A cheese company for heavens sake. People had better start watching YouTube in the U.K. to see how Australian will end up like. It’s horrifying. And governments won’t step in, they are fearful.

 

[Littleboy8]

OFFS!! If you don't like our traditions then bugger off back home to your own country!!

Would you believe them......I certainly wouldn't.....stopped it for the kiddies....yeah right!!

I didn’t say I believed them but at least they’ve moved on so our children can enjoy the Myer display as has been a tradition since I was a child.

 

[Suzanne rose]

I didn’t say I believed them but at least they’ve moved on so our children can enjoy the Myer display as has been a tradition since I was a child.

Apparently they are still doing the display just not a grand opening/ unveiling

 

[Defiant540]

Turn the firehoses on the protesters. That will dampen their spirits.

and do a lot of harm!

 

[Veggiepatch]

Oh f**king hell! All in the name of a conflict thousands of kilometres away.

Not one single child was killed in World War II....

Not one single woman was killed in World War II....

I didn't know they made age and gender specific bombs and bullets,

But nobody gives a hoot about the men who died while serving their country, regardless of what side they were on!

 

[Littleboy8]

Oh f**king hell! All in the name of a conflict thousands of kilometres away.

Not one single child was killed in World War II....

Not one single woman was killed in World War II....

I didn't know they made age and gender specific bombs and bullets,

But nobody gives a hoot about the men who died while serving their country, regardless of what side they were on!

What about the nurses etc who were killed in world war 2 etc just did my research at least 7 million soviet women and children died in world war 2,american women serving on navy ships killed in world war 2 and on the front line. Watch the documentary called Women in world war 2 I watched it on nitv a couple of months ago, a real eye opener to the war.

 

[Viellarde]

Oh f**king hell! All in the name of a conflict thousands of kilometres away.

Not one single child was killed in World War II....

Not one single woman was killed in World War II....

I didn't know they made age and gender specific bombs and bullets,

But nobody gives a hoot about the men who died while serving their country, regardless of what side they were on!

I'm sure Ukrainians and orthodox Russians will acknowledge Christmas while missing their children.
We dismantled White Aust Policy but we dismally failed to put some guardrails in place.
My family had a lot of questions to answer in our application to migrate to Australia. They are now proving to have been relevant.
Are we wiser after the event?

 

[BigAl6164]

'Melburnians and Australians have had a tough year.' Sussan Ley.

Try living in Gaza or Israel, or Ukraine, mate. Ask those residents about having a "tough year," Leybuy ...

 

[Kevin. A.]

Selfish self-centered attention seeking idiots, Protesters who could not care less about anyone but themselves.

 

[Veggiepatch]

What about the nurses etc who were killed in world war 2 etc

And the cooks on warships who never fired a shot in their lives.

 

[BigAl6164]

A small detail SDC failed to report was that Disrupt Wars (a misleadingly-named pro-Palestinian outfit) *cancelled* their protest the day after Myer cancelled its ostentatious opening ceremony.

I can't and don't support the juvenile antics of groups like Disrupt Wars, but Myer took the decision to cancel one single part of their overall event. As ordinary Australians struggle with cost of living realities it is surely profoundly offensive for the wealthy to parade their lucre in the faces of people who may well be unable to afford to shop at such a rich establishment.

And as it turns out, the guts of the Myer display remains in situ. No one misses out on that.

Meanwhile, a few ask why we should be concerned about conflicts thousands of miles away? Because when they came for the black people I said nothing because I was not black. I said nothing when they came for the Jews because I was not Jewish. I remained silent when they rounded up the gypsies and homosexuals and disabled folk because I was none of them ...

Recognise our privilege in this nation and thank God our children have food and don't live in terror waiting for the next siren, bomb and explosion. Thank God we can send our children to school and know they will return by mid-arvo, alive. Not having the rich folks' display is not exactly the end of the world.

It's kind of paradoxical that the Myer event celebrates the birth of someone who would grow up to condemn both the methods of Disrupt Wars *and* the unbridled ostentation of Myer.

 

[Veggiepatch]

Religion is the root of ALL evil!

 

[Chris P Bacon]

A small detail SDC failed to report was that Disrupt Wars (a misleadingly-named pro-Palestinian outfit) *cancelled* their protest the day after Myer cancelled its ostentatious opening ceremony.

I can't and don't support the juvenile antics of groups like Disrupt Wars, but Myer took the decision to cancel one single part of their overall event. As ordinary Australians struggle with cost of living realities it is surely profoundly offensive for the wealthy to parade their lucre in the faces of people who may well be unable to afford to shop at such a rich establishment.

And as it turns out, the guts of the Myer display remains in situ. No one misses out on that.

Meanwhile, a few ask why we should be concerned about conflicts thousands of miles away? Because when they came for the black people I said nothing because I was not black. I said nothing when they came for the Jews because I was not Jewish. I remained silent when they rounded up the gypsies and homosexuals and disabled folk because I was none of them ...

Recognise our privilege in this nation and thank God our children have food and don't live in terror waiting for the next siren, bomb and explosion. Thank God we can send our children to school and know they will return by mid-arvo, alive. Not having the rich folks' display is not exactly the end of the world.

It's kind of paradoxical that the Myer event celebrates the birth of someone who would grow up to condemn both the methods of Disrupt Wars *and* the unbridled ostentation of Myer.

Agree with some of what your saying mate but there is a difference between the groups of cultures we turned our back on through history and these immigrents/antagonists that are threatening our way of life. They are in effect soft terrorists at this stage but given the chance they would like to see us convert to their culture and customs. There will be no priviliges to recognise other than what they allow our future generations to have and they will bring sirens and bombs to our front door.
Our weak politicians have encouraged this group. Now we need to get some strong intelligent leaders who are not afraid to take up the challenge to fix it before we become like the UK.
You don't really don't know what you get with new cultures. Look at America, a very intelligent knowledgeable politician recently told the world that its immigrents were eating the local citizen"s pets. He should be their President so they don't have anyone with more intelligent to our PM. Jury is out on that one.