I visited a school presentation today that included my two elementary-school-age children. It was a Christmas story of sorts, presented by a public school that professes to embrace diversity and not to observe religious holidays per se.
I watched song after song of Christmas cheer. A Jewish parent next to me said that last year, she complained about the Christian-oriented program, and offered to teach the children a Hannukah song if they’d like. The teachers said they’d include a Hannukah song themselves, and they did, but—only one.
My son stood on stage and sang, “Must Be Santa” with his classmates, while his gym teacher humorously dressed up like Santa Claus throughout the song, going along with the lyrics.
The storyline for the show was Christmas throughout the different parts of the world, with humble scenery to illustrate: an African savannah, the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower. Everywhere, it seems, they really do celebrate Christmas.
My daughter stood on stage with her classmates and recited a poem about the Christmas bells ringing, a story of love and miracles. She acted out the part of a mother and was very excited. She loves the singing and performing opportunities brought along with this program, which is privately funded through a local arts council.
I am happy for them, too, but I can’t say I feel included. And on the home front, these types of programs may do more harm than good in terms of what I’m trying to educate my children. I guess I take heart in thinking of the experience as a sort of cultural immersion. To find a balance, I will have to move to another country, before the children are much older, and engage in some kind of de-programming.
There are a lot of other religious holidays celebrated around the world. They don’t all occur in the span of time between November and December, either. Sometimes I feel weary explaining my religion to people, since you can’t exactly look at me and “just know.” (Can anyone say that of themselves?) It’s a lot more comfortable for me when we don’t make expectations about what we observe, or what we believe. Instead, when we’re ready, we can just ask.