MP: Written Parental Consent Mandatory To Dress Students As Santa Claus In Shajapur District

In Shajapur District, a notice has been issued requiring written parental consent for dressing students as Santa Claus.

Schools seek Parents' nod before dressing children as Santa Claus.

Source : Getty

In preparation for the upcoming Christmas festival, the education department of Shajapur has instructed all private schools in the district to seek parental consent before involving children in any Santa Claus-themed activities or dressing them as Santa Claus during school Christmas celebrations. This proactive measure aims to avoid potential controversies surrounding the holiday festivities.

"Cultural programs are held in schools but the programs are a little religious and children of other faiths are also assigned religious characters to play which is not as per their own religion. Most of the time such events are held harmoniously but sometimes it leads to disputes and complaints come to us...To ensure that such disputes do not take place in future, all institutions have been urged to conduct religious programs but do not make children of other faiths indulge in skits or fancy dress events. If it is essential then they do so only with written permission from the guardians," said District Education Officer Vivek Dubey.

#WATCH | Madhya Pradesh | District Education Officer in Shajapur issues order for schools, ahead of Christmas.

District Education Officer Vivek Dubey says, "Cultural programs are held in schools but the programs are a little religious and children of other faiths are also… pic.twitter.com/kXKeRVGv6E

— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) December 21, 2023

Officer Dubey said that all of the around 1500 schools in the district have received instructions to refrain from dressing students as Santa Claus. This precautionary measure aims to prevent potential controversies surrounding the portrayal of Santa Claus during school activities.

Notably, Christmas, a deeply cherished holiday, holds a diverse historical background steeped in cultural and religious customs. While it is now observed on December 25 as the day of Jesus's birth, this wasn't always the prevailing practice. In the early years of Christianity, distinct Christian communities marked Christmas on varying dates like January 6 and March 25. The Bible's silence regarding the specific day or time of year when Mary was believed to have given birth in Bethlehem led to this diversity in celebrating Christmas among different groups.

According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, the holiday's roots and its placement in December trace back to the ancient Greco-Roman world, likely starting around the second century.

The official celebration of Christmas on December 25 by the church in Rome commenced in the year 336, under the rule of Emperor Constantine.