Lady cries “Too much Christmas” and pulls kid from school
Posted on December 13th, 2007 in canada, education, links, politics, rants |
Talk about a freakin’ attention seeker and drama queen. I mean, why else would her story make provincial news in the first place. After reading her case on The Province, it seems to me that this woman does not understand that Christmas can be both a secular and a religious ceremony.
In fact, as has been studied many times, Christmas originated not as a celebration of Christ’s birth but as nothing more than a Winter Solstice.
The Christmas *most* people celebrate these days has to do with decorated trees, snow, lights, presents, and Santa Claus.
There is a huge difference between that Christmas cheer, and the religious ceremonies that proceed this time of year that go by the same name.
In her tale, she not once even mentioned a Bible or a Jesus ceremony, and yet she wants the school to bring in a rabbi to light a Hannukah candle.
Frankly, schools have a tough time handling so many of society problems, it doesn’t help when some righteous mother comes about and makes a fuss about secular Christmas being celebrated in schools. Schools, at least from my experience, do a lot to accomodate all forms of winter holiday celebrations, but the fact remains that Canada celebrates modern day secular Christmas, so get used to it.
I wonder if the boy made such a huge deal about himself that he wanted to leave all his friends and never come back to school again.
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4 Responses
So, I think this woman went overboard and completely overreacted. However, she has a point. Most Christians will have fond memories of Christmas growing up even if those memories are secular.
However, for many Jews it is different. Many Jews did not celebrate Christmas with their families, so they often do not see “Christmas Cheer”, but rather rampant consumerism with no personal meaning to them. For me, Christmas (used to) mean hanging out with my Jewish friends and going to movies.
It’s not enough to put a Menorah next to a Christmas tree. Chanukah is a minor holiday (I only got gifts during Chanukah so I wouldn’t feel left out with my Christian friends). Instead, a little bit about the more important Jewish holidays would help. Do BC schools mention Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur? The public high school I went to was closed for those days (but this was in New York City).
So, I do not condone what this woman did with her son. However, I can understand her sentiment. Rather than make such a stink, she should be promoting awareness of the traditions that matter at other points through the year.
But you do see what I’m saying, right Andrew? Christmas is not a Christian holiday, so there’s no need to bring more Abrahamic religion into schools to counteract a secular celebration. And just because you are Jewish, or Hindu, or Buddhist, doesn’t mean you can’t go buy gifts for people and put them under trees.
I see what you are saying, but I don’t think that it is so simple.
Yes, Christmas is largely secular, and yes, many non-Christians celebrate it, and yes, there are pagan roots to Christmas, but that doesn’t mean that Christmas is not fundamentally a Christian holiday.
Of course non-Christians can buy or receive gifts for Christmas, but that’s not the point I am trying to make. As secular as it has become, many people (both Christians and non-) still view it with an air of religion.
Now, this woman on Vancouver Island is silly to feel threatened by it, but I just think it is too simplistic to assume that everyone should embrace Christmas as a secular or Canadian holiday (or risk being seen as a humbug). Until I married a (lapsed) Christian, Christmas was just something other people did.
Well, I see your point, Paul… and it’s refreshing to know what Christmas came from, but the celebration is still full of religious symbols and music. I enjoy that stuff but am an atheist so I mainly appreciate it as a holiday rather than a holy-day. (Everyone knows Christ wasn’t born December 25.)
I think she can feel however she wants to feel — I still think she’s a Scrooge — but honestly, Judaism is not the only religion and unfortunately she’s taking the “me, me, me” stance instead of trying to educate about diversity. No one wants to listen to a whiner and I’m not surprised the Province/District refuse to address some of her requests.
When I was in elementary school we lit a menorah once but I had no idea what it meant. For five-year-olds, seriously, let them have fun and enjoy the beauty of being unified under happiness. It’s this kind of stuff that leads to segregation, so she needs to find a way to let her son know what her traditions are, let him pick his when he’s older, and let him just enjoy our diverse roots.
Merry Chrismukkah.