In the spirit of inclusivity, Aberdeen school describes cards made at Christmas as Winter cards

[cakeorwine]

Children at this school have been making cards in the run up to Christmas for ages.

Many children still make Christmas cards during this activity and they are free to call them Christmas cards

However, the school announced they would be adopting the phrase "winter cards" to show "value and respect" to different cultures.
The email sent to families said: “To reflect this inclusivity in our communications, we refer to seasonal cards as “winter cards” rather than “Christmas cards”.
“This terminology helps ensure that our language is welcoming and inclusive of all members of our school community.
It added that families were still free to use the phrase Christmas cards if they preferred.

You can imagine the online reaction. The Deputy Headteacher received a threatening phone call

"Unfortunately, following the communications, our deputy head teacher received an abusive and threatening telephone call.

"This was followed by disappointing comments on social media suggesting that Christmas was somehow being removed from our school.
"I want to reassure you that is simply not the case"

We had Winterval in Birmingham. Haven't people learnt? I can imagine it's been done with the best intentions but I bet they didn't consult with the parents before doing this. It has come at the worst possible time for relations with other communities and it's spreading like wildfire online.

I'm an atheist I have no problem with schools making Christmas cards. Just don't try and force a religion on my son.

I am sure most people, regardless of faith or lack of faith, have no problem with Christmas Cards.

Winter cards is a stupid idea

We can't

But it's not just the Far Right.
Articles in the Daily Mail, Daily Express, Daily Telegraph, The Times

This is in the Telegraph

Christmas is not a dirty word’
Angela Ross, Reform UK MSP, said the decision would “sow division” rather than “bring people together”.

She said: “What kind of message does this send our children when a British custom is painted in a negative light in the name of multiculturalism?

“Kaimhill School’s decision to put inclusivity before British religious celebration is why Reform wants to draw attention to the danger of ideological thinking invading our classrooms.

“It is part of a wider campaign that is steadily erasing British cultural life from our schools and more must be done to defend Christian and British values in schools, encouraging children from different cultural backgrounds to learn through participation.

“Christmas is not a naughty word and parents and teachers need to do their part to stop it being stripped from everyday school life. Decisions like this do far more to sow division than bring people together.

“Reform MSPs will always stand up for common sense and against this creeping cultural erasure.”

Ms Ross also condemned the abuse directed at the school, saying: “The online pile-on against the teacher is misguided and should stop immediately, but we do need to identify the ideologues who bring this cultural vandalism into schools.”
Kaimhill School has a number of Christmas events planned this year, such as a fair, a lunch and carol singing.
Ms Webster added: “Given the breadth of these celebrations, it is disappointing that a small adjustment in language has resulted in such a negative response.”

An Aberdeen city council spokesman said: “The school community enjoys celebrating a number of festivals and Christmas continues to play a large part in Kaimhill School at this time of year.
“Activities planned this year include Christmas parties, festive sing-alongs, Christmas lunch, Christmas boutique, Christmas fair, Christmas decorations throughout the school, Christmas crafts, Christmas-themed films and activities, and carol singing.”

So I hope the Reform MP and those who have attacked the school realise what they do do at Christmas. It does however question why they mentioned Winter cards when they are doing everything else Christmassy

Well if you look at my last post, they are doing a lot at Christmas. I presume they are calling those things Christmas - which questions why they bought up Winter Cards

Why single out cards as something that can’t use Christmas. Just seems so counterproductive.

Exactly

An Aberdeen city council spokesman said: “The school community enjoys celebrating a number of festivals and Christmas continues to play a large part in Kaimhill School at this time of year.

“Activities planned this year include Christmas parties, festive sing-alongs, Christmas lunch, Christmas boutique, Christmas fair, Christmas decorations throughout the school, Christmas crafts, Christmas-themed films and activities, and carol singing.”

So what on Earth was the discussion about Christmas cards about? They haven't renamed the others so who on Earth decided that Winter cards was the Hill to die on?

The kids and parents were free to call them Christmas cards if they wanted to. It says that in the message sent to parents.

I’d be surprised if that many locals were bothered. It seems more that the likes of Reform has chosen this as a hill to die on.

Because the culture is saturated with Christmas. There are people who celebrate the religious aspects of Christmas as well as Santa. Other people just like pretty decorations and presents.

Christmas and Hannukah are among celebrations of light during the darkest time of the year.

Has anyone said they can’t? Who would stop them anyway?
fwiw they haven’t renamed Christmas, they’re just calling ‘Christmas cards’ ‘winter cards’
they didn’t say they’ve renamed or cancelled the entire holiday in the statement i saw?

I get really annoyed because my kids make diwali cards to bring home every single year but we are asked to do 'happy holidays' at christmas.

It is diwali, and it is Christmas.

Doesn't mean you have to celebrate either! But don't make them something they are not and imply Christmas is bad and diwali is good by doing one and not the other.

If anything, I think as a Christian country, it would be the other way round.

it’s very interesting some pp are so angry about not being able to control other peoples speech, whilst being so angry about the mere idea of someone else trying to control theirs.

These idiotic stories pumped out by the daily fail get earlier every year.

Fucking ridiculous. End of.

I wish I'd been born 50 years before I was, so I wouldn't have to endure the shit world we now live in

Yes and to do an email about one thing, why, it’s just nuts.

Winter cards????
WTF!!! have no other words really

The world has largely improved in the last 50 years, greater equality and women’s rights, longer life spans, reduction in global poverty, reduction in childhood mortality. You do have to occasionally endure some people saying ‘happy holidays’ though instead of ‘happy Christmas’

It reminds me of the Labour Minister who did this.

Rural and Defra minister Jenny Riddell-Carpenter described a traditional picture of the British countryside—featuring warm ale, black Labradors, and country pubs—as a “far-right nostalgic vision” that “never really existed” during a reception at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool.

Next day, Farage puts out a video with him going on a walk with his black labrador enjoying a beer at his local pub..

An utterly predictable reaction. She got slammed in the media, her colleagues distanced themselves for her and I think she left X

Sometimes reactions can be predictable

Exactly this. There are lots of winter festivals around this time. It's a community school not a faith school. It's not a big deal. I bet all the people pearl clutching don't actually go to church.

YANBU- it is utterly ridiculous, another example of people getting offended on other people’s behalf (who probably weren’t even offended in the first place) and making a fuss about nothing! Christmas is everywhere in the shops, out and about, for months- deal with it!

What have the last 50 years ever done for women, eh?

This - my Asian friends also celebrate Christmas, we can all celebrate different religions without erasing Christmas, winter cards indeed, whose bright idea was that ?

I was brought up Roman Catholic. Even as a young child, I wasn’t entirely convinced by all the nonsense told to me by my parents and the Nuns. I am an atheist. Despite what British Christian’s and bigots effecting to be Christians, say, Britain is no longer a Christian country. 43% of Brits describe themselves as Christian and some of those will only say it due to how they were brought up, not due to their own practice. Given that most of the country, including the Pakistani family at my local shop, celebrate Christmas, it’s become a simple Mid Winter festival. Christian’s can do their own thing, but it doesn’t change the reality.

Americanisms used by Brits usually grate on me, but I’m happy to embrace Happy Holidays and related terms.

Nonsense. I am an atheist and celebrate Christmas. This feeds right into the far right.

Because everything else is about Christmas, so for one, small thing, they wanted to actually include the kids whose families have other beliefs and none at all?

Or maybe the Reform MP and the rest of the loons could mind their business, and stop harassing a school that has done nothing wrong, just to stoke division?
The school is perfectly within its rights to make winter cards. Its a harmless activity that the children will enjoy.
Its about time 'the far right' realised that the world doesn't revolve around them and their tantrums. No ones stopping them doing what they want to do, but they can't bully people into doing things their way.
A lot of people are quite happy living in a diverse society and participating in inclusive activities, and if the far right don't like it, too bad.

There was a Jehovah's witness child in each of my children's primary classes (from the same family). If anything Christmas related was happening at school they were removed from the classroom for that activity. They also didn't go into school for the last week of the winter term as it was mostly focused on Christmas related activities. They also weren't allowed to any birthday parties but that's another story.

I am thinking very very hard to think of something I could care less about.