Schools rename Christmas jumper day to 'Winter' jumper day

Several schools have opted to rename the annual Christmas Jumper Day as Winter Jumper Day, a move that has sparked criticism from some quarters. The event, organized by Save the Children, is scheduled for next week and encourages schools nationwide to raise funds for children in need.

In an effort to be more inclusive, a number of schools have replaced the term Christmas with Winter in their communications. Critics have described the change as outrageous and completely unnecessary.

Susan Hall, leader of the Conservatives in the London Assembly, commented on the shift, saying, This is a long-standing tradition. Why shouldnt children celebrate Christmas at school? Its a Christian country. Everyone is so concerned about inclusivity, but I find it upsetting when Christmas is omitted.

Devonshire Hill Nursery and Primary School in Tottenham, for example, sent parents a mailer promoting their Winter Jumper Day, highlighting that calendars featuring students in festive jumpers against winter backdrops would be available. Other schools adopting similar language include Newfield Primary School, Bannockburn Primary School, Sydenham School, Greenside Primary School, and Yerbury Primary School.

Yerbury Primary School will host a festive school lunch, while Bannockburn emphasizes values such as equity and aims to celebrate diversity and promote mutual respect.

This trend mirrors a wider move among major brands to adopt more inclusive terminology for Christmas products. For instance, Tesco faced backlash after renaming Christmas trees as evergreen trees, a practice the company had previously implemented with large plastic trees in 2021.

The renaming of traditional Christmas references has also appeared on university campuses. The London School of Economics referred to the holiday period as winter break in 2023, while the University of Brighton instructed staff in 2022 to use the term winter closure period to avoid a Christian-centric label.

Author: Ethan Caldwell