Veterans Affairs clarifies choice to use ‘Happy March Holiday Season’ instead of ‘Easter’
The minister of Veterans Affairs explains that they didn’t wish a Happy Easter on Good Friday to veterans and serving members of the military due to multiple holidays in March.
“Given all the holidays being celebrated over the month of March, including Easter, a decision was made to acknowledge all those celebrating a holiday in the month of March,” Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor stated in the House of Commons on May 24.
“An Easter-specific post was published on Easter Sunday,” she added.
March saw various celebrations such as Ramadan for Muslims, Purim for Jews, and Holi for Hindus.
Ms. Petitpas Taylor responded to Tory MP Michael Barrett’s question regarding a social media post from Veterans Affairs on March 29, which marked Good Friday for Christians.
“We want to wish Veterans, current members of the [Canadian Forces] and [RCMP] and their families a happy March holiday season!” said the social media post, which received diverse reactions.
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Mr. Barrett remarked on the post, questioning if Veterans Affairs was “too woke to acknowledge either the cultural or religious significance of Easter?” He emphasized that the majority of Canadians are Christians and that “nobody worth worrying about is offended by wishes of a Happy Easter.”
Ms. Petitpas Taylor stated that the post was created by her department’s social media team and had received approval up to the director level. She mentioned that no disciplinary actions were deemed necessary for the post.
“However, the internal approval process is being reviewed to ensure better oversight on social media plans,” she added.
Even though the controversial post didn’t explicitly mention Easter in its text, the attached image depicted two female sailors preparing Easter eggs in a kitchen.
The ALT text for the photo described the sailors preparing a special Easter meal for the crew of HMCS FREDERICTON during Operation REASSURANCE on April 9, 2023, in the Mediterranean Sea.
The post from Veterans Affairs is part of wider efforts by the military to promote inclusivity, which included prohibiting military chaplains from offering prayers during official events leading up to Remembrance Day last November. Following backlash, the military made slight adjustments.
Various government entities have faced criticism for their handling of Christian holidays. The House of Commons passed a unanimous motion in support of Christmas after the Canadian Human Rights Commission portrayed the holiday as discriminatory.
In an October discussion paper, the commission suggested that “statutory holidays related to Christianity, including Christmas and Easter,” represent an example of “systemic religious discrimination.”
