Alberta Education Minister highlights Jesus Christ in Christmas letter to parents
Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides put Jesus Christ back in Christmas in a letter to parents celebrating the reason for the season.
Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides put Jesus Christ back in Christmas in a letter to parents celebrating the reason for the season.
“This is a special season to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the event that serves as a cornerstone of faith and brings the world a message of hope, peace, and love. It is a time to reflect on this profound gift and look forward with faith and optimism to the year ahead,” he wrote.
Nicolaides mentioned Christ on two other occasions in the letter.
“I know the first part of this school year asked a lot of families, and I want to express my sincere appreciation for the commitment and care you devote to your children’s education and well-being,” he said. “Your dedication to nurturing the next generation reflects the spirit of service and charity that the Incarnation of Christ inspires in us all. The support you give to your children makes a tremendous difference in their success and well-being.”
The education minister also included specific education policy in the letter, writing that investing in hiring more teachers and education assistants, and building new schools to meet population growth, was a government priority.
“As we celebrate Christmas and commemorate the birth of Christ, may the powerful message of hope and goodwill inspire us to lead lives of purpose and compassion, forging a brighter future for all in the coming year,” he said.
The replies to the post on X, shared by BertaProudDad, generally fell into three key categories.
Firstly, some respondents celebrated Christ and his importance to the province’s history.
“No one should even entertain the LEFT on this topic. Ignore them. ALBERTA was founded and built on Christian values. If you don’t like it, leave. Provinces like BC will gladly bend the knee to whatever other bullshit you believe in. We’re done with it in ALBERTA,” said one user.
“Wow. Left melting down in the comments about how Christ shouldn’t be mentioned….. wait for it…. at Christmas. Don’t believe? Don’t take the holiday then. Oh right, dippers gonna dip,” said another.
Another category of respondents highlighted that Nicolaides did not technically say “Merry Christmas” in the letter.
Specifically, he wrote, “As the glorious Christmas season approaches, I want to wish you and your loved ones a joyful and blessed time.”
A smaller category of anti-Christian comments emerged.
However, BertaProudDad specifically showcased an anti-Alberta UCP Facebook group in his post, where much more negative comments could be found on a post about the letter.
Some respondents suggested that saying “Merry Christmas” was fine, but mentioning Jesus Christ was incomprehensible.
Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, for whom the holiday is named.
The same people upset that Christmas is about the birth of Christ are the same people who think Easter is about bunnies.