Perhaps it’s a minor detail: should school districts call the December recess a more secular “Winter Break” or the religiously oriented “Christmas Break?” But terms such as these are debated constantly in the media. Bill O’Reilly, a conservative commentator on Fox News, has an annual habit of discussing the so-called “war on Christmas.” He believes the banning of mentioning religious terms such as “Christmas Break” is un-American.

On the other side, liberal commentator Cenk Uygur stated on The Young Turks that because the United States is founded on religious freedom, there really is not a “war on Christmas.” Instead, the elimination of religious jargon from schools is in order to be more open to students with other religions.

As of Oct. 11, 2013, a new law was enacted in Missouri stating that any public government entities, including public schools, are not allowed to restrict religious celebrations, discussions or practicing. This gives schools the freedom to celebrate Christmas or other religious holidays, and gives districts the decision of whether to call the December recess “Christmas” or “winter” break.
We asked students their views on what the break should be called: