Moves by officials in the EU and U.K. to cleanse the insufficiently inclusive term "Christmas" from holiday season nomenclature are meeting resistance amid signs that authorities may be backtracking from a sweeping top-down campaign to weed out speech rooted in traditional Western usage that could be construed as insensitive to minorities.
In the European Union, an internal document by EU Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli, first reported on by Italian daily Il Giornale, recommends that expressions that are offensive to minorities or "aren't inclusive enough" — including "Christmas" — shouldn't be used ahead of the Christmas season.
Dalli published an internal guide, "Union of Equality: The European Commission Guidelines for Inclusive Communication," which instructs officials on what language they should or should not use. The guidance lists words and phrases she deems inclusive or exclusive and lists phrases and expressions related to gender, sexual identity, ethnic origin or culture that are permissible or prohibited.
"[Avoid] assuming that everyone is Christian," the guide urges European Commission employees, who work in the executive branch of the EU. "Not everyone celebrates the Christian holidays, and not all Christians celebrate them on the same dates."
EU employees are given instructions on what phrases they can and cannot use. Instead of saying, "Christmas time can be stressful," for example, they are advised to say, "Holiday times can be stressful," according to the guidance.
Instructions to avoid the word "Christmas" appear in a section called, "Cultures, lifestyles or beliefs."
In response, the Vatican's Secretary of State, Cardinal Petro Parolin, criticized the report. In an interview published by Vatican News on Nov. 30, Parolin said the guidance went "against reality" by downplaying Europe's Christian roots.
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