The city of Bloomington, Ind., had decided to change the names of both “Good Friday” and “Columbus Day,” affecting the calendars of 700 city employees.
According to FOX59, Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton said that in order to “better reflect cultural sensitivity in the workplace,” the city will now recognize Columbus Day as “Fall Holiday” and Good Friday will be known as “Spring Holiday.”
“As a mayor we are in charge of government,” says Hamilton. “We do not set religious policies, we are not supposed to be part of religion and we are just trying to make sure that our government is open to all people and inclusive.”
The change was announced last week by Mayor Hamilton in a memo to Bloomington city employees.
“We are terrifically proud of our diverse workforce at the city,” Hamilton stated in the memo, according to The Herald Times. “That diversity makes us stronger and more representative of the public we proudly serve. These updated names for two days of well-merited time off is another way we can demonstrate our commitment to inclusivity.”
According to FOX59, the decision to change the holiday names comes after some citizens became upset with the city posting closing signs referencing the holidays on the doors of the Bloomington City Hall.
Bloomington resident Emily Nehus says she thinks “that it is a courteous and respectful thing to do for various populations.”
Some citizens don’t understand the reasoning behind the city’s decision to change the names.
“Columbus Day…why change Columbus Day?” asked resident Mike Carson.
FOX59 says that Bloomington city officials claim only major change that will come from the re-naming will be on the calendar and they hope residents will continue to celebrate the two holidays as they see fit.