Remove Five Christian Holidays in Belgium?

A "Work Group for Interculturality" from the Belgian Government wants to remove Easter Monday, Pentecost Monday, the Ascension, Assumption and All Saints from the list of National Holidays -- Christimas will remain the only free Christian feast day.

Brussels [kath.net/KAP] - A drastic reduction of the holidays in Belgium has been proposed by a "Work Group for Interculturality" of the Belgian government. The current ten feast days will be reduced to five is the "'Work Group's" proposal, said the Belgian media on Tuesday.

Accordingly, heneforth there will only be New Year, the 1st of May, the National Holiday on the 21st of July, the Armistice of 11th of November, and Christmas, the 25th of December will be days off.

Eastermonday, Pentecostmonday [Whitmonday was also a holiday in Ireland till recently], Christ's Ascension, Assumption and All Saints Day will be removed from the calendar. The "Work Group" proposes, depending on confession, that an employee can take two additional workdays free.

New additions will be International Women's Day on 8. March, the 21st of March as the International Day Against Racism and the 21st of May as the World Day of Cultural Diversity.

Among other proposals of the "Work Group" was also to permit the wearing of religious symbols such as the Islamic head covering in school for higher forms [grades]. The teacher's preference, however, should determine whether it is allowed at all.

The Belgian Minister for equal opportunity, Joelle Milquet of the Liberal-Christians Democrats of Wallonia, annaounced, that she wants to reinforce the battle against discrimination. Cultural Diversity is anchored in the heritage of Belgium, she said according to reports from "Le Soir".