From Beliefnet:
Day Thirteen:
Christmas in an Interfaith World
In every nation anyone who fears God
and does what is right
is acceptable to him.
--Acts 10
As America's religious landscape becomes more diverse, Christians often face questions about how to celebrate Christmas in the midst of family, friends and colleagues. Is it "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas"?
Leave a Plate of Matzoh for Santa
Celebrating two faiths during the holidays allowed me to appreciate twice as much
BY: Gary Magenta
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Reprinted with permission from Dovetail: A Journal by and for Jewish/Christian Families.
"Is it even? Trim just a little bit more off of the left side. No, no, that's too much? OK, is it even now? Take just a little, little, little bit more off. Yes, yes, that's perfect."
Sound like a trip to the local beauty parlor or barbershop? Well, not to me. Those are the words of my Jewish mother during the annual and often tedious ritual of sculpting the Christmas tree into an evergreen tower of perfect symmetry. My mother, with little guidance from her Catholic husband or his family, must have taken her cue on how to "do Christmas" from the window dressers at Macy's.
Our house was transformed into a Christmas menagerie, with my mother ever directing my brothers and me: "Michael, now I know there is another box, you know the one, with the Three Wise Men in it, go look, huh?" She'd ask, "Gary, see if you can find the angel. No, not that one, the one for the top of the tree."
With my mother, brothers, and me packing and unpacking boxes and sculpting the Christmas tree, you may ask, where was my Dad? You know, the Catholic guy. You see, Dad really wanted no part of the whole operation. I always had a sense even then that this was much ado about nothing for him. That was certainly the case in the home in which he grew up. Occasionally, you would find Mother at the base of the staircase calling up to him, "John, John, are you coming down to help with the Christmas decorations?"
"No, that's OK, Hon" was his most frequent reply, varied with an occasional "Yeah, in a minute." This dialogue repeated itself throughout the decorating process, and throughout the years.
To us kids-Michael, Christopher and myself-their ability to enter into each other's religions, with all of the rituals and celebrations, was seamless. Dad moved through Passover, Hanukkah, and the High Holy Days with the same ease and commitment that Mom had for Christmas. The two religions, Catholicism and Judaism, were never meshed or confused or homogenized in our house. Both were respected, practiced and shared, not only amongst us but also with others.
Growing up in an interfaith home not only offered me a unique perspective on holiday celebration, it allowed me to experience two religions and cultures, to both of which I still subscribe today. Even more important, our home was open to a large extended family, with everyone partaking in celebrations that differed from their own. When you think of it, most people lack an appreciation for religious beliefs and celebrations other than their own due to limited exposure or participation.
On Christmas Eve, following Midnight Mass, our family opened presents, all the presents except for the one that Santa delivered personally after bedtime. In our house, Santa always brought the best present of all. On Christmas Eve, in most houses it is a tradition to leave Santa a snack of cookies and milk. Our house was much the same. But I do recall the year in which there was not a cookie in the house, not a crumb or a chip, not even an animal cracker. "Mom, there are no cookies for Santa," I said. "Let me look," she replied. "Here, use these," she said as she pulled the Manischewitz box from the cupboard. "Here, leave a plate of matzo for Santa." Without a second thought, the accompaniment to Santa's glass of milk that year was his plate of matzo...
The Best Holiday Lessons
Tacking up menorahs and Santa is, well, tacky. But religious symbols can find a meaningful place in public-school classrooms.
BY: Jean G. Fitzpatrick
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What's better to display in a public-school classroom, a picture of Santa Claus or a Nativity scene?
In my town, a group of Christian ministers have sparked an uproar by sending a letter to our school board asking that the public schools stop displaying commercial Christmas symbols--pictures of Santa Claus, candy canes, wrapped packages, and toy soldiers--and show Nativity scenes instead. Every December, the schools display menorahs as symbols of Hanukkah and talk about how Muslims fast and feast for Ramadan, they reason, so Christmas ought to be represented by its primary religious symbols--a baby, shepherds, a dove, star, and manger. Candy canes and Christmas trees are not Christian, they argue, and these objects only encourage secular materialism, greed, and debt. One of the ministers was quoted in the local paper saying that it was important to let Christian children know that when they no longer believed in Santa Claus they still have Jesus.
Not surprisingly, many parents were alarmed. One Jewish woman wrote a letter to the paper saying that the holiday season is already hard enough for her children and those of other Jewish families. If the menorah can't be displayed in classrooms without the Nativity scene, she said, then it's time to take down the menorah.
A holiday symbol in the classroom--whether it is a picture of Santa, or a Nativity scene, or a menorah--can be offensive or educational. It all depends on the context in which the symbol is introduced.
Religious symbols, whether they are menorahs or crèches, have no place as mere decorations in our public schools. To display religious symbols in classrooms in order to combat secular materialism or to comfort children who've outgrown writing letters to Santa encourages the practice of religion and is offensive to non-Christian students. That is the reason, as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) points out unequivocally in its report "The December Dilemma: Guidelines for Public Schools," "[t]he court has indicated that the public schools may not display religious symbols as decorations."
But to simply tack up "secular" symbols like Santa, candy canes, Christmas trees, or dreidels onto classroom bulletin boards because they are "seasonal" encourages the trivialization of religion. I don't think students should have to spend their day in classrooms decorated with the so-called secular decorations of another faith and pretend they have no meaning.
Do religious symbols have any rightful place in the public schools? Yes, in the context of education. An object that might cause some students to feel uncomfortable when used as a decoration--whether it's a candy cane, a Nativity scene, or a menorah--can prove fascinating when used in the context of a class discussion. Learning about other people's symbols, stories, and rituals helps children growing up in an increasingly pluralistic society to gain the capacity to accept and understand differences. Examining the role of religion in the development of civilization and in current world affairs is an essential part of any child's education, and symbols and holiday rituals help bring alive for students the stories, history, and beliefs of the faith traditions they represent. "Religious symbols such as crosses, crèches and menorahs may be used as teaching aids in the classroom provided that the symbols are displayed as examples of the cultural and religious heritage of the holiday," says the ADL in another report, "Religion in the Public Schools."
These lessons in diverse beliefs need to introduce not only the Christian and Jewish December holidays but also those of other faith traditions, from Kwanzaa to the Buddhist festival Rohatsu. The holidays are best discussed in the context of the beliefs and traditions of each faith tradition as a whole, not as a one-for-one swap, "We have Christmas and they have Hanukkah." Care must be taken to present holidays authentically; putting up candy canes and Santa decorations and calling them Christmas symbols is just as disrespectful of Christianity as it would be to portray Native American spirituality with pictures of Tonto or Pocahontas.
That doesn't mean Santa has to go. He just needs to be seen in context--not as a commercial symbol but as a cultural expression of the Christmas spirit that has been long associated with St. Nicholas of Myra in Christmas celebrations in parts of northern Europe, where toy soldiers, elves, and nutcrackers also originated. People around the globe celebrate Christmas, as they do other religious holidays, in astonishingly diverse ways--through symbols depicted in art, music, words, clothing, ritual, and special foods that are part of their cultural heritage. To introduce children to these in the classroom is to help them develop an awareness and understanding of the varieties of human religious expression. In a world where communication about religious topics so quickly sparks misunderstanding--and where more sensitivity to the concerns of others is desperately needed--our children's future depends on their learning these crucial lessons.
Advent Prayer, Day 13: Coming Out of DarknessFriday December 11, 2009
Categories: Advent, Advent Prayer, Bible, Jesus
By Claudia Mair Burney
Friday, the second week of Advent
"Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, 'Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." John 3:1-2 NRSV
Why do you think Nicodemus came to Jesus at night? He already believed in him. Maybe the quiet nights, free from unruly crowds were the best time for Nicodemus to ask his most penetrating questions. Or maybe, he didn't want the spiritual leaders he served with to know of his interest in Jesus. Jesus must have startled Nicodemus when he used the cloak of darkness surrounding them as a metaphor. He said, "For all who love evil hate the light, and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed." Be it fear, depression, ignorance, or the darkness of sin in our lives, many, many people come to Jesus in their night.
Light of the world,
I'm not wise or self-aware enough to truly know my motivations. Your Word says, "the heart is devious above all else; it's perverse--who can understand it." I'm asking for you to illuminate me. Nicodemus, in coming to you, came to the light. Help me, beloved Jesus, to come out of any form of darkness that may be surrounding me. You are good to make yourself available to me in the night, but I want to know you in the warmth of your blazing sun.
"Come, Lord Jesus."
Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/prayerplainandsimple/2009/12/advent-prayer-day-13-coming-out-of-darkness.html#ixzz17h0hA629
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