Anger after EU leaves Christmas and Easter out of school diary

Christians have spoken of their astonishment at European Union diaries for school children that list Jewish, Hindu, Sikh and Muslim festivals but make no mention of Christmas or Easter.

While the EU failed to include the festivals of Europe’s majority religion, the diaries mention the far lesser known Europe Day on May 9.

At the foot of the page on which Christmas Day appears, school children are offered only secular wisdom: “A true friend is someone who shares your concerns and doubles your joy.”

Three million of the diaries were printed for 2011, with 350,000 copies being sent to schools in the UK.

The diaries have angered Roman Catholics and Christian Democrat MEPs.

Johanna Touzel, spokesman for the Catholic Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community, said the absence of Christian festivals was “just incredible”, according to the Daily Mail.

“Christmas and Easter are important feasts for hundreds of millions of Christians and Europeans,” she said.

“If the Commission does not mark Christmas as a feast in its diaries then it should be working as normal on December 25.”

German Conservative MEP Martin Kastler attributed the omissions to “aggressive atheism in the apparatus of the European Union Commission”.

He was quoted by the paper as saying: “It is impudent to say that it was merely a mistake, however big. I demand that the responsible officials be called to account immediately.

“I expect a personal apology from the Commission president because I believe this was intentionally published in this way.”