Some US colleges are advising against ‘Christmas’ due to religious sensitivity

In order to promote inclusivity and religious sensitivity, numerous colleges across the United States have issued guidance on Christmas on campus.

The recommendations include advising students and faculty against doing “Secret Santa,” not wrapping up presents and avoiding wearing the colors red and green.

The guidance comes from the University of Minnesota and the University of California, Irvine (UCI) as well as other institutions.

Students and faculty were also advised against using the word ‘Christmas’, Christmas trees, angels and Santa Claus. “Consider neutral-themed parties such as a ‘winter celebration,” said Minnesota’s guidelines, according to The Daily Caller. “Individuals may display expressions of their religious faith in their own personal space if it does not have a meaningful public function and not in public areas.”

Minnesota also claimed “bows/wrapped gifts” are “not appropriate for gatherings and displays at this time of year”.

Source: GIPHY.

Ohio University published a ‘holiday expenditure guide’ that declared students could not use university funds to purchase decorations. It continued to say if they did buy decorations, they should be “secular in nature” if they were on display in public.

The guidelines at UCI encouraged students to “focus on celebrating a special occasion, instead of a specific holiday”. They also told staff to “ensure that office celebrations are not indirectly celebrating religious holidays”.

“Consider neutral-themed parties such as ‘winter celebration’,” said a Minnesota flyer obtained by Campus Reform. “Decorations, music and food should be general and not specific to any one religion.”

So it is not just Christmas. Staff and students were warned against mentioning Hanukkah as well. All Jewish holiday decorations were discouraged, including dreidels, the Star of Bethlehem and the colors white/silver and blue.

Cultural sensitivity or political correctness gone mad, could this trend sweep across more campuses next year?

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