References to Christmas to be Removed in Asturias
The Asturian regional government has sent a circular to schools asking for all references to Christmas to be removed from the school calendar and replaced with “winter holidays”.
The regional government’s education minister, Doña Ana González Rodríguez, sent a circular round to all schools under her jurisdiction, asking them to remove the terms “Christmas” and “Holy Week” from the school calendar. Mrs. Gonzalez wants all references to Christianity to be replaced with equivalents such as “winter holidays” and “end of second term holidays” that are acceptable to everyone, including non Christians.The decision was taken without consulting the schools in question or the parents. According to the Socialist government of the Principate of Asturias, this decision was taken so as “not to hurt peoples’ sensitivities. There was a heated controversy in Belgium in recent weeks, over a ministerial circular which banned people from talking about “Easter holidays”, replacing it instead with “spring holidays”. On this occasion too, the justification given was the need for secularised public institutions that would not “offend” non Christian immigrants. November’s All Saints Day celebration will be called “autumn leave”; the Christmas holidays will become “winter holidays” and Carnival replaced with “relaxation leave”.
Source and full article: Please read Mr. Marco Tosatti for the Vatican Insider at
http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/world-news/detail/articolo/spagna-spain-espana-25003/