Possible Sanctions for Italian Schools That Remove Nativity Scenes

Italy's far-right government is pushing for legislation that would punish schools for not displaying Christian nativity scenes during the holiday season. The draft law aims to protect the country's "cultural roots" by promoting traditional Christmas and Easter traditions. Principals who choose to omit nativities from their schools could face fines under this law. The proposal has faced significant criticism from opposition parties and school unions, who argue that it infringes on religious freedom and distracts from more important issues in education. The government argues that removing nativity scenes or altering Christmas festivities to be more inclusive to other religions is offensive to the majority Christian population and undermines cultural traditions.