I have no problem with any school giving a brief lesson on what Christmas is all about, with the understanding that 'this is what Christians believe, but it's OK if you don't feel the same way'. I think kids should, at the very least, understand something of the tradition they're getting a break from school for.
By the same token, I do think that if we are going to give such explanations, we should educate kids about Purim and Rosh Hashanah, and about Ramadan. Obviously if we start to go into every possible holiday from every possible religion, nothing else will get taught, but I believe that those religious groups which make up significant portions of American society should be represented, and perhaps lesser-known things worked out on an individual basis. For example, if a student is going to be celebrating a religious holiday, however small the religion itself, it can't hurt for the student to give a brief presentation to the class on why he or she might not be in school that day, or whatever. I don't think it can possibly hurt anyone for a class to get a short lesson in what someone else believes, regardless of who the majority and minority are.
I also don't think anyone of any age should be obliged (by school, workplace or government) to participate in any overtly Christian activity against their will. As such, I don't necessarily think all reference to Jesus should be banned, but I do believe that participation in religious-themed plays or singing religious music should be optional.
Most of all, though, I think that if schools are going to teach anything to do with Christmas, they should focus on neither the religious nor the materialistic aspect, and show students that celebration of a holy day - any holy day - should be about sparing a thought or a deed for someone else. About giving of oneself, or of one's resources, to the family, to the community, to someone in need, and to the preservation of important bonds and memories.
After all, even so much as a warm smile and a kind word from each of the world's seven billion people could make any day pretty darn magical.
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I have no problem with any school giving a brief lesson on what Christmas is all about, with the understanding that 'this is what Christians believe, but it's OK if you don't feel the same way'. I think kids should, at the very least, understand something of the tradition they're getting a break from school for.
By the same token, I do think that if we are going to give such explanations, we should educate kids about Purim and Rosh Hashanah, and about Ramadan. Obviously if we start to go into every possible holiday from every possible religion, nothing else will get taught, but I believe that those religious groups which make up significant portions of American society should be represented, and perhaps lesser-known things worked out on an individual basis. For example, if a student is going to be celebrating a religious holiday, however small the religion itself, it can't hurt for the student to give a brief presentation to the class on why he or she might not be in school that day, or whatever. I don't think it can possibly hurt anyone for a class to get a short lesson in what someone else believes, regardless of who the majority and minority are.
I also don't think anyone of any age should be obliged (by school, workplace or government) to participate in any overtly Christian activity against their will. As such, I don't necessarily think all reference to Jesus should be banned, but I do believe that participation in religious-themed plays or singing religious music should be optional.
Most of all, though, I think that if schools are going to teach anything to do with Christmas, they should focus on neither the religious nor the materialistic aspect, and show students that celebration of a holy day - any holy day - should be about sparing a thought or a deed for someone else. About giving of oneself, or of one's resources, to the family, to the community, to someone in need, and to the preservation of important bonds and memories.
After all, even so much as a warm smile and a kind word from each of the world's seven billion people could make any day pretty darn magical.