A primary school in Aberdeen, Scotland, has drawn national attention after telling parents it would refer to seasonal greeting cards as “winter cards” rather than Christmas cards, a change the school said was intended to make its language more welcoming to a diverse community. The decision at Kaimhill Primary, first reported by The Times, has since sparked an online backlash and, according to the same outlet, an abusive and threatening phone call directed at the school’s deputy head.
In an email sent to families and later circulated widely on X, the school explained the reasoning behind the shift. According to the message, the terminology is meant to reflect the school’s commitment to inclusion. The email stated that “to reflect this inclusivity in our communications we refer to seasonal cards as winter cards rather than Christmas cards,” adding that the wording “helps ensure that our language is welcoming and inclusive of all members of our school community.”
The message went on to note that families remained free to call the cards whatever they liked, including Christmas cards, and closed with a note of thanks for parents’ “understanding and continued support in helping us foster an inclusive, respectful and welcoming environment for everyone.”
A screenshot, then a wave of criticism
Once a screenshot of the email began circulating on social media, the school found itself at the center of a familiar culture-war argument. Critics accused Kaimhill of trying to sideline or cancel Christmas, and several comments attached to the post took aim at the school’s choice of words.
“This woke nonsense needs to stop,” one parent said, according to the reporting. Another asked, “Who is getting paid to destroy our customs and traditions?” A third described the change as “utter madness” and asked why the school was “cancelling Christmas for kids.”
The anger was not confined to the internet. The Times reported that the deputy head at Kaimhill had received an abusive and threatening phone call in the wake of the email’s spread — an escalation that underscores how quickly a routine school communication can become a flashpoint online.
Festivities still on the calendar
Despite the controversy over terminology, the school’s December schedule appears largely unchanged. According to the Daily Record, Kaimhill has a number of festive events planned for the year, including a party, a fair, and carol singing. The school is located in the Garthdee area of Aberdeen, a city sometimes called the Granite City.
The dispute in Aberdeen fits a broader pattern of schools and public institutions reworking the language around Christmas in the name of inclusivity — and of those changes provoking immediate pushback. Breitbart News, which reported on the Kaimhill email, noted a 2023 decision by the English city of Bradford to raise what it described as a “multi-faith festive tree” for the Christmas season, alongside a traditional Christmas tree that was also displayed.
For its part, the school has framed the change as a matter of communication rather than celebration, one that leaves families free to mark the season as they choose while ensuring no pupil feels excluded. Whether that explanation quiets the criticism remains to be seen.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2026/10/09/christmas-cards-now-winter-cards-at-scottish-school-because-diversity/