If Christmas is directly recognized by teachers or the school itself, many feel as if this excludes other people, since not everyone celebrates the holiday, or they aren’t connected to it in a religious sense.
However, by allowing more specific recognition of holidays, including Christmas and other religious symbols, the school campus would able to be more inclusive and would allow students to feel more connected to the school. However, if a religion is pushed onto students, some may feel excluded as mentioned previously.
“As long as it’s only discussed among students? I’m fine. I don’t feel offended or anything. But if a representation of Christmas as a religious holiday were brought up by a teacher, I would feel left out,” junior Alex Davidsson said.
Recognizing a holiday does not necessarily mean that you are promoting its religious beliefs. Instead, it can be an opportunity to learn and understand. When a school acknowledges holidays or traditions such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali, or Lunar New Year, it shows that diverse beliefs and cultures deserve space and recognition.
“Personally, I think that it’s fine for holidays to be celebrated and even recognized as religious in a school environment, as long as they don’t try to push anything onto students,” junior Landon Joseph said.
Schools usually try to remain neutral, but fully neutral could result in students thinking that they should try to keep parts of their identity hidden. Recognizing Christmas as a cultural and religious holiday instead of limiting it would ensure that other similar religions would have the same recognition. Schools should create a balance that celebrates our diversity instead of suppressing it.
Bringing a variety of holidays into the classroom can also help keep a positive environment for students. Discussing and acknowledging the holidays can help students feel like they belong as well as give them a deeper understanding of the world around them and how things are recognized.
Finally, openly noticing holidays like Christmas makes students be ready for a world that is diverse and connected. Learning about our different cultures and traditions could teach students how to respect beliefs that are different from their own. Schools shouldn’t only be a place for academics, they can help students build an increased awareness of the world around them. By allowing for many traditions to be recognized and not limited, we raise understanding, inclusivity and positivity.
“I haven’t personally witnessed someone feel excluded. I mean, maybe I have, and I didn’t notice it or recognize it. You know, I could be in the presence of someone who feels excluded, and they could just not tell me. But yeah, I haven’t talked to any students about feeling excluded or anything I’ve had, you know, a while ago before COVID, like when they said when they had to take down all the Christmas trees at the airport at SeaTac because it wasn’t inclusive of other religious holidays. I remember hearing students, you know, being frustrated with that because, you know, a Christmas tree doesn’t mean you, you’re, you’re pushing a religion, you know, it’s a Christmas tree,” teacher of Video Production Barry Cogswell said.
