From: cathy@octel.com (Cathy Kearns)
Newsgroups: misc.kids
Subject: Re: Celebrating Xmas and Hannakuh
Date: 17 Dec 92 18:45:59 GMT
Organization: Octel Communications Inc., Milpitas Ca.

In article <168BF9B5E.M18611@MBVM.Mitre.Org> M18611@MBVM.Mitre.Org (Kathy Wilk) writes:
>  This year, the School Superintendent in our town has decided there will be no
>school Christmas trees - no religion dominating others.  This didn't bother me
>but someone wrote in a letter to the town paper that it seems to be not so
>much a decision for freedom of religion as for freedom FROM religion.  It
>bothers me that there are children in my town who are needy and whether they
>receive charity or not, the school celebration of Christmas may be the nicest
>part of their holiday.  I consider this Superintendent to be a dud, out of
>touch with the problems of our town, especially the problems coming from
>the lower socio-economic stratum.

What if the reason the Christmas trees were left out of school was because
one very poor, non-christian family complained that their children were
coming home and asking for a Christmas tree when they just couldn't
afford it, and it went against their religious beliefs also?  Would
that make you feel better?  Perhaps, for many children, the school celebration
of Christmas was the final straw of a society pushing a holiday that they
didn't necessarily believe in down their throats.  You may love Christmas,
I certainly love Christmas, but not everyone celebrates Christmas.  I'm
sure you understand that.

>  If it weren't for the daycare interfaith celebration, my kids would not be
>learning about how to play with a dreidel.  It seems that Jews don't make a
>big celebration out of Channukah so let's not celebrate Christmas in a big
>way?  Yes, we could have a modest celebration that is family only - why, be-
>cause Channukah is celebrated that way?  It doesn't make sense to me that
>Christmas, which takes place during the dullest, coldest season of the year,
>should be downplayed for such a reason.

You seem quite focused on Channukah.  What about all the other religions
and their holidays?  What about the Christians that would like to get 
a little more Christ and a little less Santa into their holidays?  There
aren't only two sides here.  And, as hard as it is to believe, the majority
of people in the world do not celebrate Christmas.  

>  Everyone I know who has had an annual party, for Christmas, Fourth of July,
>or New Years Eve, or whenever, has not been deluged by invitations in return.
>I don't know whether it is general lack of manners or whether throwing an
>annual party puts you in a special category.  We do it for the good cheer.

And it sounds like you are very good at it.  Not everybody are entertainers.
The real good side is when your children want a huge wedding, for you it'll
be cake.  For the rest of us will still be pulling our hair out.  I really
don't think they mean to be rude, they just don't know how to throw a big
party.  I know my family in southern California always participates in
Fourth of July block parties, where the entertaining is shared by every
one.  Since there is some amount of cooperation involved, they get to
know the neighbors, and then become friends.  And one family isn't stuck
being the party givers all the time.  Maybe you could try sharing the 
hosting duties with some other families, sort of a house to house type
open house. (I know, it's too late this year, but you could talk it up
and get some volunteers.)  

						Cathy