It’s the time of year when people get ready to celebrate Christmas. With many great traditions and celebrations, everyone gets hyped up for the holiday season. Introducing any specific holiday into public school could result in numerous fights for mentioning and celebrating one particular holiday or not celebrating at all.

Schools need to recognize that doing something as simple as playing Christmas music in class can lead to awkwardness for some people. Holiday traditions such as putting up Christmas trees, stockings and even jolly old St. Nicholas, may hurt those who don’t celebrate Christmas.

During the holiday season, it is always important to celebrate more than one holiday in order to make everyone feel included.

The Daily American article “Should Christmas be celebrated in Public Schools?” discusses this issue. The article states that while celebrating December holidays in public schools can be a learning experience, for those who don’t (celebrate December holidays) this could be an awkward and an unwelcome experience.

Christmas is based off the religious story of Jesus’ birthday. 

Therefore, even if someone argues that they aren’t celebrating the religious aspect of Christmas, they are still celebrating the religious idea of it.

In fact, the article “Problems with Christmas Curriculum” on tolerance.org states that “despite the non-religious
trappings, Christmas remains a religious holiday that is not usually celebrated by those of other faiths. Most Jews do not hang stockings on the fireplace, decorate their tree or give their children presents on Christmas Day, nor do Americans of the Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist faiths.”

Different religions celebrate or participate in different events in December. Due to this, teachers who wish to include lessons about different holiday traditions can run into problems.

“First the teachers may not have enough information about the holiday to make such observances meaningful although such information isn’t difficult to obtain,” the article on tolerance.org stated. 

Despite Christmas being the most celebrated December holiday in the U.S., there are many other holidays that are
celebrated in December. Jews celebrate Hanukkah. The holiday is a remembrance of an effort to restore the Temple of Jerusalem after it was destroyed when the oil in a lamp should have only lasted for one night, but lasted for eight.

Muslims celebrate Ashura, the 10th day of the first month on the Islamic calendar. Sunni Muslims remember the prophet Muhammad by fasting. There are two official holidays in Islam: Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha. Eid Al-Fitr is celebrated at the end of Ramadan (a month of fasting during daylight hours) and Muslims usually give zakat (charity) on the occasion.

Buddhists do celebrate Christmas, just in a non-religious way, also known as Bodhi Day celebrated on Dec. 8. This holiday celebrates when the Buddha achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. Some people even celebrate the “Seinfeld”- concocted Festivus, where the traditional Christmas tree is replaced by an aluminum pole.

We should be more open to different holidays during the month of December in order to promote inclusiveness. Although people at school can wear Christmas sweaters and have Christian beliefs, they should be open to those around them and remember that everyone celebrates differently and some don’t celebrate at all.