holiday hum bughs

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holiday hum bughs

by lynn

Dec 1, 2008

hi all, I would like to know your opinion on this situation that happened to me today:

I was talking to my students, and a woman who works in our school came walking right in and without even saying excuse me, started talking about giving me hanakauh cut- outs. I thought she was being nice and said oh, you must mean for my fireplace, which I had hanging in the hall near my room with stockings for my kids I made. I said ya sure, maybe I'll put them up, as I was toatlly off guard, and did not want to put something up that none of my kids celebrate and which did not go w/my display. She smirked and said ya maybe unreal. Soon after she went to the principal and complained saying I had outrageous x-mas decorations (i have a charlie brown tree, one pair of lights and stockings...all my kids 7 ell's only celebrate x-mas, and I planned on talking/reading about hanakuah and kwanza too). The principal even came up and said it was beautiful and not outrgaeous and a book would survise to ...See More

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suzy bless you...we have no Christmas anything...except for a parent who might want to come in and volunteer and explain Christmas (which is by the way a national holiday) and that is it! No Christmas anything. We have a giving tree that is made of dowling and kids bring in gifts before Thanksgiving. Even no Santa pictures allowed. The library has books...See More

Dec 4, 2008

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skylark2868 On 12/04/08, suzy wrote: > bless you...we have no Christmas anything...except for a > parent who might want to come in and volunteer and explain > Christmas (which is by the way a national holiday) and that > is it! No Christmas anything. We have a giving tree that > is made of dowling and kids bring in gifts before > Thanksgiving...See MoreOn 12/04/08, suzy wrote: > bless you...we have no Christmas anything...except for a > parent who might want to come in and volunteer and explain > Christmas (which is by the way a national holiday) and that > is it! No Christmas anything. We have a giving tree that > is made of dowling and kids bring in gifts before > Thanksgiving. Even no Santa pictures allowed. The library > has books related to Christmas but no display. Kids who do > believe talk among themselves and maybe to a teacher. After > a while they seem to feel as though something is amiss about > themselves. very politically correct. > > On 12/01/08, lynn wrote: >> hi all, I would like to know your opinion on this >> situation that happened to me today: >> >> I was talking to my students, and a woman who works in our >> school came walking right in and without even saying >> excuse me, started talking about giving me hanakauh cut- >> outs. I thought she was being nice and said oh, you must >> mean for my fireplace, which I had hanging in the hall >> near my room with stockings for my kids I made. I said ya >> sure, maybe I'll put them up, as I was toatlly off guard, >> and did not want to put something up that none of my kids >> celebrate and which did not go w/my display. She smirked >> and said ya maybe unreal. Soon after she went to the >> principal and complained saying I had outrageous x-mas >> decorations (i have a charlie brown tree, one pair of >> lights and stockings...all my kids 7 ell's only celebrate >> x-mas, and I planned on talking/reading about hanakuah and >> kwanza too). The principal even came up and said it was >> beautiful and not outrgaeous and a book would survise to >> have out. I can't believe the nerve some people have. I >> would never make someone feel bad or tell them how to >> decoarte their own classroom. Tomorrow I'll put up a >> menorah and a kwanza symbol, but why can't we all just >> mind out own business? I feel guilty when I shouldn't. >> Thanks for listening and happy holidays!

I teach in the south, and right now in my room, I have sparkly tinsel strung across the top of my board. I have a tree with lights and red and blue ornaments (school colors) Because I teach Spanish, and the nativity scene is so important to Spanish Christmas, I have a nativity scene set up under the tree. We are singing in Spanish all the traditional carols. I also teach English, and my English students are asking if we could sing carols. I don't think I could function in a school where one can not do Christmas.

Dec 4, 2008

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Sara eople think public schools are everyone's business and they're encouraged to think that way - especially at tax time... And the topic of the winter holidays has been a Hot One for a number of years now. Indeed, I'm surprised that your school is allowed to continue putting up Christmas decorations - I don't disapprove, please don't misunderstand. 'R...See Moreeople think public schools are everyone's business and they're encouraged to think that way - especially at tax time... And the topic of the winter holidays has been a Hot One for a number of years now. Indeed, I'm surprised that your school is allowed to continue putting up Christmas decorations - I don't disapprove, please don't misunderstand. 'Round here, this Hot Topic resulted in schools putting up snowflakes, snowmen and the likes of that. Of course around here we have tremendous diversity - we have Muslim children, Hindu children (do you want a picture of their god with several waving arms on your fireplace?....) Jehovah's Witness who don't observe any holidays, Jewish children, Christian children. Buddhist children and likely others I don't even know about. Oh, yes - Ba'hai children but I'm still figuring out what the tenets of that faith are.

I try to do my best to recognize the major holidays of all those faiths... and it educates the children about each other's faiths. 'Today is Diwali - the Hindi New Year - would anyone like to share how their family celebrates Diwali?'

Christmas can be a very difficult time of the year for non-Christians - our country observes Christmas in an almost overwhelming way - of course a lot of that has nothing to do with our faith and is sadly all about materialism, consumerism and shopping but that doesn't make those left out of it feel any better about being left out at this time of the year. Christmas can be a very lonely time for non-Christians - they don't feel a part of their own country - everyday is a reminder they almost don't belong here in December.

So some of them do little things as this woman did to you - know it was born of how bad she feels though she can't say that outloud. I'd have to say it would do no harm for your students to learn about the holidays of other people particularly as all these other people live in America and are American citizens. The Hanakah holiday is actually a very minor holiday I think but to get more people shopping our malls have seized on it as a way to get non Christian shoppers in the mall. But major or minor - don't let that make you feel bad and to me it sounds like underneath it all you do feel bad. Clearly you're a caring person and were, as you said, 'caught off guard' with her 'reminder' that not everyone observes Christmas and were disconcerted by how she chose to remind you. Her choice was awkward to say the least, took you by surprise and made you feel awkward. Instead of talking it out - it was too awkward to talk out - she then made an even poorer choice and went to the principal - all because she underneath it all feels awful at this time of year.

Look at this way - you don't. You felt awkward as a caring person when she approached you in such a way but you don't feel awful at this time of year. This is your holiday and it's about being generous even to those who make us feel bad for having a holiday when they don't. Happy holidays to you too!

> , The principal even came up and said it was > beautiful and not outrgaeous and a book would survise to > have out. I can't believe the nerve some people have. I > would never make someone feel bad or tell them how to > decoarte their own classroom. Tomorrow I'll put up a > menorah and a kwanza symbol, but why can't we all just > mind out own business? I feel guilty when I shouldn't. > Thanks for listening and happy holidays!

Dec 6, 2008

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Diana The woman who did that to you was being mean-spirited and unpleasant. I'm sorry it happened.

Because I live in a rural Southern town with a very homogeneous population, there is no problem with Christmas stories, songs, etc. Anything that we do has to be tied to grade level learning standards, but if it is, then anything goes.

We ...See MoreThe woman who did that to you was being mean-spirited and unpleasant. I'm sorry it happened.

Because I live in a rural Southern town with a very homogeneous population, there is no problem with Christmas stories, songs, etc. Anything that we do has to be tied to grade level learning standards, but if it is, then anything goes.

We have some people who are not practicing Christians (not church-goers) but all are of Christian heritage. None at all belong to or profess a different faith.

We do also teach about Kwaansa and Hanukkah just to give the kids exposure to the idea that other faiths exist and have alternate traditions, and those are valid and to be respected. I know nothing about Diwali or winter celebrations of other major religions. If I had background knowledge and suitable materials, I'd include those as well.

I think that it is very odd that our society expects us to respect diversity by honoring the traditions of others, but in many places, that does not include honoring or practicing our own.

On 12/01/08, lynn wrote: > hi all, I would like to know your opinion on this > situation that happened to me today: > > I was talking to my students, and a woman who works in our > school came walking right in and without even saying > excuse me, started talking about giving me hanakauh cut- > outs. I thought she was being nice and said oh, you must > mean for my fireplace, which I had hanging in the hall > near my room with stockings for my kids I made. I said ya > sure, maybe I'll put them up, as I was toatlly off guard, > and did not want to put something up that none of my kids > celebrate and which did not go w/my display. She smirked > and said ya maybe unreal. Soon after she went to the > principal and complained saying I had outrageous x-mas > decorations (i have a charlie brown tree, one pair of > lights and stockings...all my kids 7 ell's only celebrate > x-mas, and I planned on talking/reading about hanakuah and > kwanza too). The principal even came up and said it was > beautiful and not outrgaeous and a book would survise to > have out. I can't believe the nerve some people have. I > would never make someone feel bad or tell them how to > decoarte their own classroom. Tomorrow I'll put up a > menorah and a kwanza symbol, but why can't we all just > mind out own business? I feel guilty when I shouldn't. > Thanks for listening and happy holidays!

Dec 7, 2008

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Sara I think that it is very odd that our society expects us to > respect diversity by honoring the traditions of others, but > in many places, that does not include honoring or practicing > our own.

We are certainly allowed to practice our faith and its traditions - that's silly to think we're not. My school doesn't allow us to put up...See More

Dec 7, 2008

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