School District Axes Religious Holidays

In order to include all religious groups, one school district outside Washington, D.C. is eliminating the names of religious-based holidays from their calendars. The Montgomery County, Maryland board of education voted Tuesday to strike the names starting next school year. The decision comes from the schools being closed for Jewish and Christian holidays—such as Yom Kippur and Christmas—but not Muslim ones, like Eid Al Adha. Superintendent Joshua Starr suggested the holiday names be eliminated from the calendar altogether, but still allow the students to have the days off. “The Eid is just the same exact as Christmas or Easter or Yom Kippur,” Samira Hussein, a school parent and employee, told NBC News. “The children want to celebrate with their family and be joyous.”