A rumor that Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek announced references to Christmas would be changed to “Inclusive Winter Observance” circulated online. For example, Facebook account @That Oregon Life posted the claim (archived) in December 2025, captioned:
The rollout, described by Tina as “a necessary modernization of winter emotions,” will take effect immediately.
Variations of the rumor spread on Instagram (archived), X (archived) and Instagram Threads (archived) as well.
Some readers seemed to interpret the rumor as a factual recounting of real-life events. However, there was no evidence of Kotek announcing Christmas would be changed to “Inclusive Winter Observance.” A Google search of the keywords: “Oregon ‘Inclusive Winter Observance'” resulted only in links related to the post in question. If a governor had made such an announcement, reputable news media outlets likely would have reported the claim.
(Google.com)
Rather, the rumor about Christmas being officially changed originated with That Oregon Life — a website and social media platform that describes its output as being humorous or satirical in nature. The story (archived) contained the label “Humor, News, Satire,” though we did not immediately find a disclaimer on the site, as is sometimes included on satirical news sites.
We reached out to The Oregon Life seeking comment regarding the satirical nature of the story, and will update this story if we receive a response.
That Oregon Life has a history of making up stories for shares and comments; for example, one story on the site claimed authorities deported a tourist to California who mispronounced Willamette River. Another story claimed Christmas trees would instead be referred to as “the tree” in Portland, Oregon.
For background, here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources that call their output humorous or satirical.
