Stirring the Holiday Pot
At the beginning of December I asked my husband if we (the two of us) could celebrate Chanukah instead of Christmas this year. We’d still spend Christmas and celebrate with my family, but I wanted to give Chanukah a try. And it has nothing to do with the 8 nights of presents. Mostly.
In my Chanukah shopping, I had to stop into Hallmark to get a card for my sister-in-law. Hallmark, holiday card sanctuary, had walls and walls and rows and rows of Christmas cards. And one column of Chanukah cards. 12 in total. And 2 of them were combined Happy Chanukah/Merry Christmas cards.
I’m not standing up here to say that there needs to be an equal ratio of Christmas to Chanukah cards, but more than one column and *gasp* perhaps a roll of Chanukah wrapping paper wouldn’t be the end of the world. Or so I think any way.
I’m not, nor am I ever going to be, one of those people who’s offended if someone at a store wishes me a “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Chanukah” or “Happy Holidays.” Or if I get a card from friends or family that is Christmasy. Because, it’s not about that. Wishing someone a happy holiday, even if it’s not the one they practice is well-intended and that’s what I think the important thing is.
But there’s a line here.
A few years ago, something happened in my hometown. And at the time, I was all up in arms about it, but then, with time, sort of forgot about it. After my Hallmark experience, my memory was jogged.
Two years ago, the school district where I attended high school and worked for a year, got a new member to the board of trustees, and his very first order of business was not educational. It was not related to curriculum or even really students in the area.
His very first order of business was to change the names of Winter Vacation and Spring Break to Christmas and Easter Vacation (yes, I know I just linked you to a fox news article and my insides are burning a little for it, but it was the easiest article I could find on it).
In the article the trustee said that,
“We’re just trying to uphold American cultural and religious history,”
Bullshit.
Ahem. I mean. No. Just, no.
Because American cultural history also might include this little document we call the constitution. And historically speaking it has (for quite some time) contained an amendment stating that the government cannot establish a religion. I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but Christmas, by it’s very name and tradition, is a Christian holiday. Easter is the mother of all Christian holidays (though the bunny is a very curious component). And public school districts? They are run by the government.
Hmmmm.
So please, please tell me, how does renaming vacations after Christian holidays in public schools uphold the American cultural history? And moreover, what the fuck is this American religious history? There is NO American religions history. This country was FOUNDED on the principles of freedom of religion. I don’t give a shit how many people are Christian, because that’s one of the beauties of this country. You can be whatever you want.
In 2007, 16% of the United States population did not practice a religion. 1.7% practiced Judaism. .7%, .6% and .4% practiced Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism, respectively. So, almost 20% of the population does not practice Christianity. So why is a public school allowed to observe religious holidays?
And moreover, who the HELL was it hurting to call it Winter Break? Or Spring Break?
I am not asking for anyone to stop wishing anyone else a Merry Christmas. I’m not asking for anyone to convert to another religion or even attempt to really understand another one. But I don’t think it’s unfair to ask a public school district to observe the 1st amendment. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to want students who don’t observe Christmas to have it lauded above another holiday they might celebrate at the same time of year.
But that’s just me.
16 Responses to “Stirring the Holiday Pot”
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Welcome! I'm Katie, a 27 year old, full-time graduate student who just happened to have brain surgery in November of 2007 to give my ginormous brain a little more space. This blog chronicles my daily life, from relentless headaches to falling over in public to being a doctor's wife. Sit down, get comfortable and stay for a while.
Nah, it’s not just you. This is a battle I’ve fought time and time again. I fight against the notion that the US was founded on Christian principles. That it is a Christian country, etc., etc., so much it would make your head spin.
And see, I have credentials. Real ones. I don’t think I’ve ever told you what area of specialty is. Try: 18th century non-fiction prose. So guess whose PhD exams included questions on things like the Constitution and the Declaration? And guess who knows the players and can make the arguments with ease? And you know what? It doesn’t help a whit. People who are determined to have their world view confirmed cannot comprehend that Jefferson was not religious in the contemporary meaning of that word. They cannot accept that his world view allowed for a God, but not for one that had any interest in humanity now. And that he was approached and BEGGED by the Anabaptists (precursors to the modern Southern Baptists — and that’s a whole other thing they don’t know; their own church history) to create the anti-establishment clause.
And I’ll stop now before I go on a really serious jag that will include stops at the Supreme court and Mount Vernon
.
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infiniteknot Reply:
December 16th, 2009 at 3:49 am
Hi. Love this post. Hallmark sucks for lack of cards other than Christianity. I believe in more separation between church and state. Things have gotten out of control and there is total lack of respect for people who do not practice Christianity. Thank you so much.
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Totally understand your gripe…. I think at a public school there should be no religion. It’s just not fair and there is too much of a chance of offending someone/leaving someone out, etc. Public school is for education. If you want your kids to have a Christmas break, send them to a Christian school (as my parents did).
I have had a gripe the last couple years in the opposite direction because of the over “Happy holidays-ing so as not to offend anyone”… my CATHOLIC University wishing Happy Holidays.
I can’t even figure out why it bugs me SO much that my Catholic school has a big ole banner on the side of the building that says “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”, but it irks me every freaking year.
You should write that Hallmark a letter and let them know that you were disappointed in their selection… I think that they really do listen to stuff like that, and maybe they’ll change their orders for next year.
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It is good to see you post about something controversial again! Almost laughing at the post from being surprised.
In my part of the country, people are more interested in making sure that Christmas is used intead of Happy Holidays.
kimybeee
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On the flip side, the principal of a school in my city tried to ban teachers from having Santa paraphernalia in the classroom. I wish I was kidding.
The Waterbury Board of Education made a rule that allows teachers to celebrate whatever the hell they want in the classroom, so Santa gets to stay.
All of the arguments that come with the holidays kill me. These are the holidays, people: they are supposed to be about love. It’s all gotten so commercial and oversensationalized, it makes me crazy.
And I’m stepping down from my soapbox now.
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Amen.
there is more than one path to God…
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Oh gee, where to begin. Well, the establishment clause was put in to the first ammendment to prevent the US government from establishing a national church like The Church of England. Our country was founded by various sects of christians fleeing the oppression of both Catholic Countries and England after all. However, that did not prevent the individual states from making their own rules (that pesky 10th ammendment again). For example, until 1877 both the state of New Hampshire and North Carolina required that elected office holders belong to a Protestant Christian Church. Until 1833 the state of Massachusetts required every man in the state to belong to a christian church, but did not specify denomination. It is interesting to note that these laws were not abolished by Supreme Court decisions (the Supremes didn’t really weigh in on this until 1961) but by popular sentiment in the states themselves. Now don’t misunderstand me. I am not advocating that this is the way it should be. However, we tend to put our current interpretation of the first ammendment onto the founding fathers and in reality the truth is a lot more messy that we would like. The first 10 ammendments were put in to get the states to ratify the national constitution and from the perspective of the founders these ammendments were designed to protect the individual states from the power of a central government not to protect the rights of individuals. That is a very 20th century interpretation of our country’s founding. In the case of that particular High School District Trustee (a bit of a demoggue, imho) the actions he took were very popular with the community and he probably has his job for life as a result.
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Katie Reply:
December 15th, 2009 at 11:34 pm
Oh Uncle John. You know I know all about the ratification of the constitution, right? RIGHT? Because my thesis was on it.
And OF COURSE Bakersfield LOVED the changing of the name to Christmas/Easter, but to be honest, I tend to think that Bakersfield liking something is usually not the best measure of whether it’s fair to all people. *cough*Bill Thomas*cough*
See you next week.
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jothoma Reply:
December 15th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
touche
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megs Reply:
December 16th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
“Our country was founded by various sects of christians fleeing the oppression of both Catholic Countries and England after all.”
As a historian of the 18th c. and the early republic, I have to comment on this. That statement only applies to part of the population, and really only in the 17th century. The guy who wrote most of the Constitution was an Anglican, the official state religion in Virginia. His family had come over, like most Virginians, to profit and make money. If they were escaping anything about Britain, it was the limited resources and lands.
Not to mention the fact that said Anglican was educated by Presbyterians and defended the right of Baptists to practice and preach in Virginia (which was against the law pre-Revolution). I believe he was even fine with people not believing anything (I’d have to go re-read the Remonstrance, tho).
Okay, that’s my 2 cents.
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Sara Reply:
December 16th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
amendment.
Sorry, just couldn’t help it. If you’re going to advocate for something, please spell it correctly.
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Katie Reply:
December 16th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
*snicker*
That’s my uncle. Who has 3 small children. I’m pretty sure his spelling powers have been long zapped by keeping his 5 year old from smothering his 11 month old.
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Let me guess – the guy is a Republican. And his hair is perfectly coiffed. He wears a suit with a nice power tie. And he always looks like somebody went over him, in detail, with a scrub brush. Right?
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As a Christian, I have a problem with the “powers that be” trying to tell everyone they have to do things the same as everyone else does. We don’t go to church because of the hypocrisy of most of the people who attend and act all pious and better that others while in church but totally different in the real world.
I believe we all have the right to celebrate the holidays they choose based on their own religion/beliefs.
Happy Holiday to me means a general greeting for Christmas and New Year. Personally I like the idea of a Winter Break for schools. When I taught school, I tried to put up holiday stuff for all beliefs including Kwanza.
It really bothers me when people try to force their beliefs on everyone else.
I am starting to ramble but guess this post has punched my buttons.
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I’m somewhat surprised by your statistics (not doubting your sources, just surprised)- I feel like I have known so many Jewish people in my life that there surely must be a higher percentage of practicing Judaism. intersting. Maybe I just lived in concentrated areas?
Not that this matters one way or another. I totally agree with everything you were saying.
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I have been fighting this battle my whole life. Growing up I regularly made hand-outline reindeer, and green triangle Christmas trees and a countdown to Christmas paperchain. I even had to endure an entire _unit_ on Santa Claus in 6th grade science class. I don’t know what place it had. Many of my teachers did make inclusive attempts, such as allowing my brother to make a countdown to his December 25th birthday (yes, he is Jesus), but all too often there was misunderstanding (kids asking me why the Jews killed Jesus) and schools getting up in arms when I took off Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur so I could celebrate the High Holy Days. It makes me very upset, but I’m used to the ignorance. Even the ignorant folks that suggest Hanukkah is “instead” of Christmas.
And separation of Church and State? Please. In my (very religous, heavily Catholic) hometown, the Catholic schools held their religion classes on Monday afternoons at 2:00, and school didn’t end until 2:30. So each Monday, through elementary school, I sat in a nearly vacant classroom (of a public elementary school) cleaning erasers and stacking chairs with the other 4 kids who weren’t Catholic. It was so ridiculous my mother started scheduling my piano lessons for that time.
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