How Do You Think Holidays Should Be Acknowledged In School?

[njjen3953]

Please keep in mind that our schools are populated with children from multi cultural families with various religious beliefs.

This is a hot topic in my college's Early Childhood department. I would like to know what the general public thinks.

Thanks in advanced,
Jen

 

[JPie1]

Jen,

In my opinion, speaking as a mother of a young child of a different culture, I think that holidays are a good time to explain and teach the children about other cultures and religion. I think only with understanding do children learn to accept and have tolerance for those with different backgrounds. I think a specific religious holiday should be acknowledged and be the grounds to share information about the holiday and culture behind it.

I am very happy that my parents were very open to me learning of different beliefs, cultures and views.

JPie

 

[Strelnikov]

Jen, I see where this question is coming from.

Education bureaucrats are conflict averse (that means "coward".) Here's one of the pathologies that has spawned in your state: The HS English Regents exams invariably have a "interpret this prose passage" essay question. Recently, they've been bowlderizing the passages to avoid any possibility of causing offense. Not only does this desecrate the literature, sometimes it removes all sense from it (example: James Baldwin sanitized of all reference to race.)

So you've got a faction that wants to ban all holiday activities, because there's guaranteed to be some knothead of a parent who will object to anything you do. Possibly there's another faction that wants to homogenize all holiday observances into a sort of gray gruel.

Here's my take, as a parent. Let the kids observe the various holidays according to their tradition, and use it as a teaching tool about other cultures. Encourage participation from parents. Christmas party? End-of-Ramadan feast? Fine by me. Believers are members of the public too, and just as entitled as the Godless to express themselves in public venues. Anyone who doesen't like that, tough shit, put your kid in a private school run by atheists.

Strelnikov

 

[ForgottenTcklr]

I DO NOT think that we should even consider sacrificing our culture for those who live here.

If you move to America and do not like our culture... GO HOME!!!

I will welcome anyone here with open arms. But this is America! And we will not give up our traditions or our culture for anyone!!!

Sorry to get fired up.

And if I am not clear enough, I'll try to make it clearer later!

 

[QBWeaver]

I agree with Strel. We are a nation of varied cultures and beliefs. If the children are allowed to celebrate the different holidays of the different cultures they will become so much more educated and tolerate overall.

My daughter-in-law is finishing up her college degree in teaching. Her speciality is K-3 with an additional focus on teaching deaf children. The school she currently teaches at does celebrate all the different holidays of the different cultures. Families are invited to join in with song and food and sharing stories. The kids learn so much from the celebration and get to thrive in an environment of acceptance of all.

And that is a very good thing!

 

[Biggles of 266]

Anyone who doesen't like that, tough shit, put your kid in a private school run by atheists

are there really private schools in the US run by atheists? The overwhelming majority of ones here are religious, mostly Catholic, who get more funding from the government than state schools, even though they say they're independent and don't teach to state standards or curriculums. grrr... but that's another thread...

Biggles

 

[JoBelle]

As a "classroom mom," I have talked to all of the parents from my son's class. We've discussed this very issue since the holiday season is now right on top of us. What kind of activities are we seeing as appropriate for the class? For the most part, the parents all share a similar view. The fact that it is pro-religion is surprising to me. When I was a student teacher, religion was presented as a subject that would get you chained and whipped if uttered to the wrong parent.

In this class, we have Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu (1) and B'hai (1) and one child with Atheist parents who are fascinated that their only child tells them that God is real and they just don't know everything. LOL THAT I find telling. Every parent has agreed that we can have a "Santa Day" as Santa Claus had become, in recent years, a secular symbol of giving and sharing. Not a single parent (including the atheist couple) objected to the kids giving a gift to one another in the spirit that it's just a nice thing to do. Also agreed is each child will get a day (well, 15 minutes before recess 😉 ) to "teach" the other kids about their religion and talk. You'd be surprised how compassionate a child can be. Teach them respect early!

The big focus in this class is New Year's Eve. It's apporached as the biggest part of the holiday because it lets everyone "Start over with a new year on the calendar." Everyone is making a resolution to "do better in school, be nicer to classmates, read better, etc." Sparkling stars, fireworks, the baby new year coming in after the old man leaves. It intrigues kids! It makes them feel very important and worldy to be able to greet a new year "just like a grown up."

The parents of the children in this class are from all over the world. I live in an area with three military bases within 30 miles of one another. Military transfers make up a lot of our school system, so though MS is a predominantly Christian state, we're lucky to have our kids learn from a variety of sources! Most impressive that it can be their peers. I'm just thrilled that we don't have any parents that scream "My way or the highway."

Joby

 

[Strelnikov]

New Year's Day, eh? The Evil Empire abolished Christmas in Stalin's time. Santa, renamed "Father Frost", came on New Year. They even issued him a BLUE coat! I guess he wasn't really a Red at heart...

Strelnikov

 

[BellaRisa]

I DO NOT think that we should even consider sacrificing our culture for those who live here.

If you move to America and do not like our culture... GO HOME!!!

I will welcome anyone here with open arms. But this is America! And we will not give up our traditions or our culture for anyone!!!

Sorry to get fired up.

And if I am not clear enough, I'll try to make it clearer later!

Um, just out of curiosity, how do you define "American culture", and whose traditions are we not gonna give up, Forgotten? Not to be a pain, but I thought that America was made up of people from all over the world, who come to be treated equally. Seems to me that if everyone who came here had to do things the way those who were already here did them or go back to their native land, not one culture would have stayed. Who is the 'we' that you feel shouldn't consider making sacrifices? Again, not being a pest-just asking for that later clarity you mentioned 😎

Bella

 

[Biggles of 266]

Strel: are there really many private schools run by atheists in the US? I didn't know that.

Biggles

 

[Strelnikov]

Here's how a Jewish kid celebrates...

Little Rachel comes home from first grade and tells her father that they learned about sending nice cards to people.

"But, I have a question, daddy. Since Christmas Day is for a Christian Holiday and we're Jewish," she asks, "will God get mad at me for giving someone a Christmas card?"

Rachel's father thinks a bit, then says "No, I don't think God would get mad. Who do you want to give a Christmas card to?"

"Mr. Osama Bin Laden," she says.

"Goodness, why Osama Bin Laden?" her father asks in shock.

"Well," she says, "I thought that if a little American Jewish girl could have enough love to give Osama a Christmas card, he might start to think that maybe we're not all bad, and maybe he will start loving people a little bit. And if other kids saw what I did and sent nice cards to Mr. Osama, he'd love everyone a lot. And then he'd start going all over the place to tell everyone how much he loved them and how he didn't hate anyone anymore."

Her father's heart swells and he looks at his daughter with newfound pride.

"Rachel, that's the most wonderful thing I've ever heard."

"I know," Rachel says, "and once that gets him out in the open, the Air Force could blow the shit out of him."


Strelnikov