Schools Should Decenter Christmas During the Holiday Season
Here’s how we can work together to foster a more inclusive school atmosphere
By Molly Rodewald, reporter
Each year during the winter season classrooms throughout schools are decorated with images of Santa and reindeer, classes play Christmas trivia and Christmas cookies are handed out. But the issue with these holiday celebrations is that they are often limited to just Christmas celebrations.
While Christianity is the most populated religion, and therefore Christmas is a very important holiday, many people do not celebrate Christmas and schools often exclude other holiday celebrations. Some other celebrations during the winter season include Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and celebrating the Winter Solstice.
Hanukkah is one winter celebration. It is a Jewish holiday known as the festival of lights. According to “News Observer” Hanukkah is celebrated to commemorate the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem after it was retaken by a group of Jewish Warriors, from the Greeks. Hanukkah lasts eight days and each day is celebrated by lighting a candle on a menorah.
Kwanzaa is another winter celebration. It is a celebration held in the United States to honor African American culture. Kwanzaa is not associated with a religion and is celebrated by African Americans. According to “History.com”each day they celebrate represents a different principle some of which are unity, faith and creativity.Kwanzaa lasts for seven days and each day a candle is lit on a kinara.
Lastly, the Winter Solstice is a winter celebration. The Winter Solstice is not a religious holiday, but rather a celebration of the shortest day of the year. According to “Wikipedia” many people celebrate as it is a symbolic holiday which represents going from a dark time, to a time of more light.
While all of these holidays are celebrated, Christmas gets the most representation in schools. This is an issue as many kids do not see themselves being represented in their school. As a result, kids could feel ashamed of what they do or do not celebrate as they do not see themselves being represented in the “norm”. This also creates a problem of children not understanding others who celebrate different holidays other than Christmas. As they are not getting this education in school, they have to actively do research on these topics if they want to learn more about others. This can lead to adults who are not respectful of others and their religions and celebrations, which can result in violent and hateful actions.
A simple way to make sure everyone is included and respected in schools is to actively include all winter celebrations in a classroom setting, or instead focus on a celebration of cold weather and winter activities instead of holidays!
Here’s how we can work together to foster a more inclusive school atmosphere
By Molly Rodewald, reporter
Each year during the winter season classrooms throughout schools are decorated with images of Santa and reindeer, classes play Christmas trivia and Christmas cookies are handed out. But the issue with these holiday celebrations is that they are often limited to just Christmas celebrations.
While Christianity is the most populated religion, and therefore Christmas is a very important holiday, many people do not celebrate Christmas and schools often exclude other holiday celebrations. Some other celebrations during the winter season include Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and celebrating the Winter Solstice.
Hanukkah is one winter celebration. It is a Jewish holiday known as the festival of lights. According to “News Observer” Hanukkah is celebrated to commemorate the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem after it was retaken by a group of Jewish Warriors, from the Greeks. Hanukkah lasts eight days and each day is celebrated by lighting a candle on a menorah.
Kwanzaa is another winter celebration. It is a celebration held in the United States to honor African American culture. Kwanzaa is not associated with a religion and is celebrated by African Americans. According to “History.com”each day they celebrate represents a different principle some of which are unity, faith and creativity.Kwanzaa lasts for seven days and each day a candle is lit on a kinara.
Lastly, the Winter Solstice is a winter celebration. The Winter Solstice is not a religious holiday, but rather a celebration of the shortest day of the year. According to “Wikipedia” many people celebrate as it is a symbolic holiday which represents going from a dark time, to a time of more light.
While all of these holidays are celebrated, Christmas gets the most representation in schools. This is an issue as many kids do not see themselves being represented in their school. As a result, kids could feel ashamed of what they do or do not celebrate as they do not see themselves being represented in the “norm”. This also creates a problem of children not understanding others who celebrate different holidays other than Christmas. As they are not getting this education in school, they have to actively do research on these topics if they want to learn more about others. This can lead to adults who are not respectful of others and their religions and celebrations, which can result in violent and hateful actions.
A simple way to make sure everyone is included and respected in schools is to actively include all winter celebrations in a classroom setting, or instead focus on a celebration of cold weather and winter activities instead of holidays!