A primary school in the United Kingdom set off a firestorm of controversy after making the decision to cancel its traditional Easter celebrations, a move intended to promote “inclusivity” according to school officials. Events slashed from the schedule include an Easter bonnet parade and a church service.
Critics are calling the decision by Norwood Primary School in Eastleigh, Hampshire, an act of discrimination against Christians, while supporters say it’s an example of making public spaces more welcoming to diverse faith groups. But the controversy has also sparked a wider conversation: Does ensuring inclusivity in schools mean removing faith-based traditions?
Easter vs. Inclusivity
Norwood Primary School’s headteacher, Stephanie Mander, recently announced the cancellation of its long-standing Easter events. In a letter to parents, she emphasized the school’s commitment to respecting all religious backgrounds and said the move was made “in the spirit of inclusivity and respect for the diverse religious beliefs represented in the school’s community.”
“Cultural Surrender”?
The decision triggered strong reactions in the local community and around the country. For years, the UK has been dealing with simmering tensions around immigration and the integration of other faith groups into a country where Christianity has been the dominant religion for many centuries.
A 2021 census survey in Hampshire found that 47% of residents identified as Christian, and roughly 3% identified Muslim, Buddhist, or Hindu. 46% said they did not follow any religion.
Some parents and community members expressed disappointment, arguing that long-standing Christian traditions should not be sacrificed in the name of inclusivity. Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman went as far as calling the move “cultural surrender.”
Some critics shared their own letters of support for Easter online:
One faith group is even organizing to protest the decision in person:
War on Easter?
The school’s decision comes amid a wider cultural discussion around how Easter should be celebrated in a country that’s evolving demographically and theologically.
Some Christians took offense at Easter messaging being removed, arguing that it’s unfair because Ramadan messaging does not receive similar treatment.
Others critics have gone so far as to call the UK “culturally lost.”
What Does the Future Look Like?
Others, however, saw the backlash as overblown, contending that adapting traditions to reflect a diverse student body is simply a reflection of modern society. People have moved to new lands for all of human history, sometimes leading cultures to evolve with the changing times to make everyone feel welcome. As communities change, so too do their traditions.
Religious scholars have also pointed out that there is a certain irony in Christians complaining about Easter being erased by other religions because there exists substantial historical evidence that many of the Easter traditions celebrated today originated from Christians copying (and exploiting) Pagan traditions to win converts.
Related: The Real History of Easter: a Pagan Holiday
History aside, the latest Easter controversy raises fundamental questions about faith, inclusion, and tradition. As communities grow more religiously diverse, how should institutions approach long-standing celebrations? Should public schools rethink traditional religious events, or is there a middle ground where inclusivity and tradition can coexist?
53 comments
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Joe Stutler
Are the churches canceling their vaguely equinox-adjacent celebration? No? There you go, then, problem solved. Go to the church of your choice, and keep the woo out of schools.
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
Seems simple enough. Well, unless the goal is to indoctrinate children to a belief system developed by Bronze Age, nomadic, desert goat herders.
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Daniel Todd Kamm
The public sphere is not the place for religious expression unless all expressions are equally endorsed... best kept in the home, and within one's chosen place of community/worship. Faith-based traditions have no place in public anything (including the christian swearing in of public officials) ... one can't kiss a pope's ring while taking the devil up one's backside.... This is also known as hypocrisy. Faith-based traditions need to support one another, demand equality among all traditions, and protect those who are still searching or a place they can call home. I agree that many religious groups want to play the victim, "woe to us, look what we have endured," "we are oppressed," "we're suing because we are not allowed to practice our faith freely without treating other people fairly" etc. But "look out when we take over and get even." Plain ignorance. They don't deserve to have the emotional expression which is what faith actually is... And there again is that Golden Rule everyone talks about. Please... Liars and Frauds... and pass the hat for the new nursery wing we are building....! Peace, Out, tk
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Reverend Paula Copp
Easter is a christianized pagan festival called Ostara.
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Keith David Harry
So
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Colleen McAllister
I am opposed to changing generations-long holiday traditions. Most of the celebratory part of Easter (or Christmas for that matter) has little to do with religion. Easter bunnies, chocolates, and fancy bonnets are not representative of Jesus. Let the children have fun and the parents can teach then any religious matters. Oh, the churc service should definitely be canned.
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Patricia Ann Gross
Well, UK is catching up. Easter celebrations in schools were outlawed here years ago. While I applaud the note about respect for all religions, it was a serious mistake to cancel the festivities less than a month before they happened. I can't presume to know how you can celebrate any religious holiday in an "inclusive" manner if it is presumed that it will be attended by the entire school regardless of religion. That leaves festival celebrations to the state sponsored and historical holidays. I have never been a fan of the "Easter Bunny" being the focal point of Easter anyway. It is a celebratory event that is pivotal and defining in the Christian religion. Yes it was co-opted from a Pagan tradition, but that was only to set the time of the year in which it is celebrated and to appeal to Pagans for the purposes of evangelism.
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
Easter crap doesn’t belong in schools. Nothing to do with inclusiveness. Simple fact that there should be a separation between church and State.
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Eric Wayne Maynard
That's word! I further add that parents as a whole, in developed nations where education is prioritized, are not properly conveying the overall intent, to our children! There will be annual and cyclical moments in which they can relax their scholastic endeavors and enjoy cultural traditions but these occurrences are brief and fleeting. A great majority of their time should be spent in pursuit of the fundamental knowledge & skills needed to join society as contributing members. As they acquire knowledge and learn more about their community and their place in it, the goals should always be clear and attainable. Yes, there will be those statistical anomalies who push harder and set lofty goals and there will be other outliers who simply don't care and don't understand why they should. For the sake of brevity, I will quietly step down from my pedestal and kick it to the curb. Yes, this is a forum where people can express their individual ideologies I just do not believe this is the proper platform in which to go down the "rabbit hole" of culture, religion, and tradition in one fell swoop! Life is too short and I have things to do...
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Farajallah Michael Yazbek
It's not crap, as you call it. The Great and Holy Pascha is the holiest of all the celebrations in the Christian Church because it celebrates the promise that we will, indeed, take our bodies back and be given life, or death, depending on that judgement we will all receive. Do not disparage others' beliefs and call yourself clergy. You must, in order to accept the tenets of the Universal Life Church, accept us as we believe. Please refer to the oath you should have taken silently when you accepted your ordination.
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
Ahhh, but it is crap. And I don’t call myself clergy, I obtained my ordination as a lark and a farce. And in part to know that I havebthe power to perform a marriage ceremony if anyone should lije to get married and not have to bring a religiously delusional individual into the mix. No oath was taken, silently or otherwise, unless you count a hearty chuckle as I applied.
As for disparaging religious beliefs I only do so in cases where said beliefs are voiced publicly. In this case I happened to run across this little ditty. I accept your right to believe. I respect your right to voice said belief. But when you voice your opinion be aware that you invite others to comment on your opinion. I speak honestly.
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Cameron Lewis
Keep religion behind closed church doors...PERIOD. I am from the US, but I am a form.beliver in the separation of church and state. It is important to teach comparative religions, but not force religion. Easter or Christmas pagents force faith on those not wanting it. I have yet to see a school honor Ramadan...
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Eric Wayne Maynard
I too am from the US and echo your sentiments but further add that schools are institutions of learning. It should be at schools where the broad strokes of religions are taught. Such as teaching that there are monotheistic and polytheistic religious ideologies in our world and the names of those religious ideologies are always popping up in news headlines because so many wonderful and horrible things are done in the names of those religious ideologies. Schools are not the place at which a specific ideology is forced upon the student. We build and visit churches, synagogues, and mosques for that nonsense and it should be the Priest, Rabbi, or Imam who reinforce a student's spiritual journey. I acknowledge and respect that people have faith in a wide array of doctrines that preach a wide array of lessons but, I do not need to subscribe to any of them to have a voice. Not with the internet quite literally at my fingertips (hello smart phone and ULC website).
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Farajallah Michael Yazbek
Let's go a step farther to see where your stance is on history, which is contained in many of the still-existing texts in the Christian Church, but aren't included in the Bible. For example, where do we find the history of Alexander The Great after the library at Alexandria burned? You could try other works, but there's one accurate location, and that's the First Book of the Maccabees in the original Orthodox Bible before the Great Schism, when the Roman church removed any references to the Greeks. You cannot get rid of religious teachings without deleting the history of the world and mankind. And who said God didn't create the Earth in 6 paleontological days (those 6 eras), just the same way as Genesis describes it? First there were the fish of the sea, then the fowls of the air. If you follow Genesis, the evolutionary history of the world actually fits, with the exception of the creation of man, which is made in "our image," according to the scriptures given.
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Joseph Grieco
OK, for my fellow Christians on this blog - How many of you would be offended if your child was forced to take part in a Purim or Passover ceremony? How about a Diwali celebration? Oh, yeah, and because many are unfamiliar with this, Ramadan is a time of fasting and prayer. Muslims whose health allows it are required to fast from Sunrise to Sunset. Even sips of water are frowned upon. They also attend their five prayers, and are supposed to read 1/30th of the Qur'an each day, so they complete it by the end of the Month. By Comparison, how many Christians read 1/40th of the Bible each day during Lent? One last thought - the only time a "Christian" Religious Celebration was cancelled in what is now the United States is when the Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth Colonies cancelled Christmas in 1659, much to the Chagrin of the almost 50% of the Population who were Anglicans or Lutherans and not Congregationalists or Puritans. So perspective is everything.
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Joseph Grieco
OK, for my fellow Christians on this blog - How many of you would be offended if your child was forced to take part in a Purim or Passover ceremony? How about a Diwali celebration? Oh, yeah, and because many are unfamiliar with this, Ramadan is a time of fasting and prayer. Muslims whose health allows it are required to fast from Sunrise to Sunset. Even sips of water are frowned upon. They also attend their five prayers, and are supposed to read 1/30th of the Qur'an each day, so they complete it by the end of the Month. By Comparison, how many Christians read 1/40th of the Bible each day during Lent? One last thought - the only time a "Christian" Religious Celebration was cancelled in what is now the United States is when the Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth Colonies cancelled Christmas in 1659, much to the Chagrin of the almost 50% of the Population who were Anglicans or Lutherans and not Congregationalists or Puritans. So perspective is everything.
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Brent LaDon Collier
The down fall of Christianity was stated in the Bible thousands of years ago. Christians and their beliefs are under attack more and more now a days.
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R. Don Elsey
Sorry, I do not support any religion - in schools why should my child be forced to sit through a Christian holiday. Take religion out of schools or teach all religions.
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Chris
Christians are not under attack. People who claim to be Christians but don't follow the teachings of Jesus are under attack for trying to force their professed religion into law when they don't follow it themselves. If you're feeling attacked maybe you should check your bible and see if you're living how Jesus said to.
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ether_ore
To me, and as one who doesn’t have a dog in the fight, this could only be discrimination if observance of other religion’s holy days was still acceptable. I saw nothing in the post (though I admit I did not read the open letter) that indicated this was the case.
The question that does spring to my mind though, is what would these people’s reactions be if Eid, Ramadan, Holi, or some other religion’s special days were suddenly added to the calendar?
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Rev. BH
Little kids like painting eggs, egg hunts, wearing bunny ears. As a kid I never thought much about resurrections and Christianity. It was just a fun spring day. (Hallowe'en and Christmas were similar great kids days without biblical concerns.) Eggs (Cadbury!), costumes, candy, toys.
Let's ban fun.
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Jack Anthony Wilson
Punishing the majority, for the lack of belief by the few, is not WWJD.
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Ari Joseph Bertine
Equity means either getting rid of all religious traditions in a secular school or including all of them. If people want their children to celebrate the holy days of other religions at school, then they have the right to fight to keep their own. All or nothing.
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Anisahoni
The "holiday" is absolutely ridiculous. Jesus was supposedly dead for 3 days and just rose up and walked? Come on. Human bodies begin to decompose after death. After 2 days the body stinks horribly, the body is bloated and putrified and turns green and the mouth and nose ooze fluids including blood, if not previously drained by the mortician. Dead bodies stink and the putrid smell lingers for a long time. I atttended a wake and the body wasn't prepared by a mortician as the family decicded to have it incinerated. I had to wash my clothes when I got home and the smell lingered for over a week in my nostrils. It was disgusting. I do not believe that a man who died, rose from the dead after 3 days and just walked around, It is humanly impossible.
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JaZe
If it's not an April Fools thing it misses the point. If you were attending perhaps a Buddhist school would you refuse to attend their 'easter' celebration thus sharing in the joy and friendship of the occasion with fellow friends/colleagues? If you go to 'that party on the 5th floor' would you peak inside first to make sure there are only white/black/pink with yellow polkadots people in attendance? Are we going back to a time when the church insisted women did not have souls?
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ServantOfJudgement
Poor people of UK. Feel bad for them, they can't even think about some things without getting arrested. You don't need to imagine that, you can go there, think in public and get arrested upon the confession of thinking.
It's exciting to see how a country full of oppressed victims handle the vice getting tighter and tighter every day.
Lol, jail for thinking.
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Michael Hunt
You won't get arrested for thinking in the UK. Complete rubbish.
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ServantOfJudgement
Isabel Vaughan-Spruce and Adam Smith-Connor were arrested for silent prayer otherwise known as thinking. Connor was fined several thousand pounds for his thought crime. One hell of a weight loss program if you ask the average American.
These tremors are a sign of a greater oppression the UK is staggering into.
You can plug your ears and cover your eyes all you want. I don't care. I find it amusing to watch such educated animals eat the key to lock of their chains they put on with vigor.
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Michael Hunt
Isabel Vaughan-Spruce was accused of breaching a Public Spaces Protection Order outside of the clinic but charges were dropped and she was awarded £13,000 from the police for wrongful arrest. She was not arrested because she was praying, she was arrested because of where she was praying. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gze361j7xo
Adam Smith-Connor was arrested for breaching a safe zone outside of the clinic. "The safe zone, introduced in October 2022, bans activity in favour or against abortion services, including protests, harassment and vigils." He informed the clinic the day before that he was going to hold a vigil there, which the safe zone does not permit, and then when he was politely asked to leave, he refused. The officer who asked him to leave spoke to him for an hour and 40 minutes but Smith-Connor would not leave. It was not prayer or thinking that got him arrested, it was because he was doing it in a place where he was not allowed to do so. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g9kp7r00vo
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
WTF you talkin’ ‘bout, Willis?
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ServantOfJudgement
Dr Z, you could be suffering from selective reasoning. The AI of my choice suggests this is one of the three causes of your denial of reality. Meaning the reality of UK'ers getting dinged(like a bell) for thinking in a place they ought not be thinking. You know what kind of trouble that'll cause.
Selective Reasoning Z. It only affects geniuses. Us simple folk don't know how to do that stuff.
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Najah P Tamargo
Najah Tamargo-USA
As if there isn't enough to fuss about, now THIS!?!? Give it a rest!! If the parents take issue with this, set up a meeting with the Board and figure it out!!
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Richard Michael Salvatore
Thank God the United States left the Jurisdiction of England in 1776!!!
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Rev. Carol M Anaski-Figurski
Easter is the cornerstone of Christianity from Palm Sunday, Good Friday, entombed Saturday & He is Risen on Sunday. We have eternal life in Heaven. It's more important then Christmas actually. Sharing religion in school should be inclusive so other religions are respected too. Multifaith Based Holidays & their meanings should be celebrated in schools. they should not be allowed to cancel one religion & hold the other. Blest be.
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
Easter is indeed a cornerstone but it is a silly one. Many xtians think that the idea of Muhammed ascending to heaven m a winged horse is silly. I don’t think adding in a 3-day weekend of death removing the horse makes xtianity any less silly.
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Nicholas J Page
Leave out traditional Christan festivities alone.What next you going to cancel Christmas I. Bet the teachers will still take The Easter holidays.
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Steven Ferrell
The UK in name of inclusion is really surrendering to islam. 😥
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James Hage
I am a Christian, My wife is Muslim, I can tell you we have very similar faiths. I bet you didn't know they are looking forward to Jesus return as well.
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
Well, if being willfully delusional helps a marriage you guys are on your way.
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Mark Dyer
It's a sad day in our country when pop-stars being sexual during their performances is the "norm", the incorporation of the devil and those themes have become "edgy" and accepted now, as seen on an SNL skit. You even have the muslims pushing their way into non-muslim societies. All of this is perceived as "ok", and yet Christian ANYTHING is shunned upon in school. The "silent majority" needs to find their voice and speak up. Whether or not students identity as Christians or not, should not matter as all that is being promoted are good life-principals to live by.
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Jessica Forbes
Possibly have a spring rising celebration or egg fiesta. Something include unity to come together for happiness. It's a tradition that kids get to look forward to of coming together for happiness amongst the not so set things to celebrate on the regular days we go through in life.
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Jessica Forbes
Possibly have a spring rising celebration or egg fiesta. Something include unity to come together for happiness. It's a tradition that kids get to look forward to of coming together for happiness amongst the not so set things to celebrate on the regular days we go through in life.
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Farajallah Michael Yazbek
The problem is not the fact that these other events take place. The problem is that these events are being celebrated by the school while Christianity's most important date is being cancelled. ONLY Jesus rose from the Dead on the first day of the week, which was Sunday. All the other so-called prophets are still in their graves awaiting their judgements, which will, indeed, be all-inclusive. So let's remember that if we include ANY religious celebration, we must include them all. This schools has chosen to push Christianity out of the school while allowing other faiths to remain in place. This is outright discrimination.
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Walter J. Holbrook
ZZZZZZZZZZZZ
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Ronaldo
The New Testament does not consider the Sabbath as a day of worship, and Paul's statements in Colossians and Romans indicate that how we handle the day, or even which day of the week it falls on, are matters of personal choice, not carved in stone for all to obey. What would happen if we removed all religious requirements from government and businesses? Muslims could no longer demand time off multiple times a day to worship, and Christians could not demand every Sunday off. No company would be forced to give certain people certain holidays off. When these people are hired, they could make deals with their employers regarding such practices, but there should be no laws forcing compliance by the companies.
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Robin Anne Hannon
If you want to celebrate Easter, then you can do that at home. There is no reason to have to do it in school. Easter itself has many pagan traditions. It was not in the original script so to speak. It's something one can choose or not. It's not cancelled; it's simply being said it's not appropriate in settings where diversity is encouraged. I think that's a bit overkill it's a kid's fun holiday and should have no bearing on diversity.
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rebadams7
Add celebrations. Don't subtract or replace.
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Bruce Huston
Hmmmm ... what part of the Easter symbolism is Christian anyhow? While it's true that we Christians have chosen this season to celebrate Jesus' triumph over death (however you want to define that!) there is nothing about the holiday celebration that has a Christian origin. The name apparently comes from a pre-Christian goddess in England, Eostre, who was celebrated at beginning of spring. Easter eggs? Nothing Christian about them. They are a symbol of fertility, again related to springtime. The Easter bunny? Hardly Christian. Another fertility symbol. After all, who is more fertile than bunnies? So it seems to me that it is the pagans, not the Christians who should be upset about cancelling thes spring fertility rituals!
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Reverend Paula Copp
I am pagan, and I have found it funny how the holiday OSTARA, which has been celebrated for many thousands of years, just happened to be the time when the Christian Christ arose from the dead…
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Patti Anne Lisenbee
Ahhh, poor babies over in the UK have a christian holiday cancelled and they're piqued about it! Go to church then! Celebrate it there! Wee babies need their noses wiped? Being persecuted? Who gives a darn about other religions, we want our choccie eggs and marshmallow peeps! We talk about being fair to everyone until it happens to us!
Faith-based traditions don't belong in public schools. It's not a "War on Christianity" no matter how much the hypocrites love to play victim. Removing religion-based stuff provides for the half of students who don't follow that one religion. Seriously, how would these "Christians" feel if there were a Ramadan celebration they were required to participate in? Or an Ostara program? They need to get over their priviledge.
The money still says in Gid we trust. And schools are federally funded. You want to change the tradition. Sounds like you ought to change the country you live in. Not you, but in general.
This happened in England, not the US. Also, the "In God Is Our Trust" was not adopted as the US National Motto until the Red Scares of the 1950s, as was the addition of "Under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance. The latter was from a recommendation by the Knights of Columbus. The former is a line in the Star Spangled Banner from a later verse most folks are unaware exists. Also, remember that even though HRM Charles III is the nominal head of the Church of England, they have the same religious freedoms that we do.