Should Religious Holidays Be Observed In Public Schools?

Question

Christmas , Easter etc.?

Answer 1

No. In fact, most are disgusting corruptions of pagan holy days.

Neither Christmas nor Easter have any connection with Christianity. So-called "Christmas" celebrates the pagan Saturnalia and the appropriately-named "Easter" celebrates the pagan goddess Eostre.

Jesus was not even born in December. Nearly all so-called Christmas customs dishonor Christ.

http://watchtower.org/e/19981215/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20001215/
http://watchtower.org/e/20041215/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/19981215/
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/article_11.htm

Christendom adopts "Easter" from pagan worship of the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre (or Oestre). Most Easter traditions merely repackage pagan fertility festivals and concentrate on eating, decorating, and frivolity. Christ certainly never wanted that.

By contrast, it's tragic that the one holiday Christ actually *DID* ask Christians to commemorate is entirely ignored by almost all of Christendom. It is, of course, the Memorial of Christ's death, sometimes called "the Last Supper" or "the Lord's Evening Meal".

(1 Corinthians 11:23-25, NWT) The Lord Jesus in the night in which he was going to be handed over took a loaf... Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” 25 He did likewise respecting the cup.. Keep doing this... in remembrance of me.”

(1 Cor 11:24, 25, NEB) "Do this as a memorial of me.”


Christ Jesus himself personally celebrated and explained the significance of that Last Supper to his followers (see Matthew 26:26-29). Christians who commemorate the Last Supper have done so on the same Jewish calendar date as Jesus did, Nisan 14, which generally falls between late March and mid-April. Interestingly, Christians in the centuries immediately after Christ's impalement were sometimes called "Quartodecimans" which literally mean "Fourteen-ers", because the early Christians were well-known for this true holy day.

How would Jesus feel to learn that the holiday he commanded was widely ignored, while his so-called followers chose to celebrate a pagan false god and their own traditions of men? We don't need to wonder.

(Matthew 15:6-9) You have made the word of God invalid because of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about you when he said, 8 ‘This people honors me with their lips, yet their heart is far removed from me. 9 It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines.’”

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/article_08.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20041215/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20011115/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20050101a/
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/

Answer 2

Legally, they technically can't. As in, technically, no Christmas or Easter parties, that sort of thing. However, they can't require kids to attend school over those holidays, particularly those kids who observe those holidays. Seeing as how they have a right to believe and a right to observe a religious holiday, they can't be prohibited from taking time off.

However, because so many families observe those holidays, most kids take time off to do so and it becomes impractical, especially in smaller schools, to leave schools open and functioning when only a few students and teachers will be there. Therefore, schools make a break of it for everyone and those that don't observe those holidays can simply enjoy the time off. Breaks are what you make of them. If you observe a holiday, fine. If not, enjoy the time off.

Parties, on the other hand, that's tricky. As a kid(growing up Lutheran at the time, I'm now an atheist), I have fond memories of class Christmas parties. For a kid, it's about eating candy and drinking soda and getting out of school early. And where I grew up, most everyone I knew was either Lutheran or Catholic, so it wasn't an issue. But it's been ten years since I've graduated, and things have changed, even in my hometown of less than 1500 people.

One option is to completely abolish holiday parties, even if they can't abolish breaks on a technicality of practicality. But the big downside to this is that by doing so, kids don't get to be kids and have fun once in awhile, and that's sort of unfair.

Another option, which may be as impractical as forbidding a holiday break, depending on how big your school is and where you're from, is to hold Holiday parties, rather than just plain Christmas ones. That way students of all religions, whether they obseve Christmas, Hannukah, Ramadan(though I think that's celebrated earlier. Muslim folks, can you help me out as to exactly when Ramadan is?), Kwanzaa, Yule, etc can have fun and celebrate their own holiday without having to conform to one that isn't their own.

Answer 3

Do you mean Christian holidays, or all holidays? Christmas is off, and Easter is often "Spring Break". Should we have school those days? No. A long time ago, I read a book where there was one girl who skipped school by converting to whatever religion had a holiday that day, including Zoroaster's birthday. My last job had a calender which listed all holidays (including independence days for many countries) I'm not against mentioning and learning about any and all holidays.

Answer 4

Yes, for me, being that I'm a Christian. However, for others who don't celebrate the religious holidays, what are they going to do? Should they go to school or stay at home and get the benefits of the holiday?

Far too many people are trying to be politically correct. And while that's going on all morals are going down the drain.

What I see in the near future, is people who do not believe in the religious holidays will either have to get their own schools, business, etc., or change the policies. They've succeeded with taking out prayer and the Ten Commandments. Continue to remove God and watch America fall...

We've (America) been helping everyone else and leaving our home issues on the back burner. Well, our issues have been on the burner far too long and now they are burnt to ashes. What now?

Be blessed.

Answer 5

Well first off Easter is always on a Sunday, so how would that be recognized in a public school?

Secondly, Christmas is a National (a nation whose entire foundation is based on Christian beliefs) holiday as well. That means nearly everyone (Jews, Muslims, Atheists, ect) gets a holiday, not just Christians.

Answer 6

Christmas is a holiday observed by most businesses, as well as the Federal Government, so it makes sense that the schools would be closed as well.

Answer 7

No.
But as it stands, the observance is not forced. The child that knows the truth about the pagan holidays can abstain from the activities, usually being allowed to go home or to study hall.

Answer 8

They are observed, everyone gets the day off.

Should you allow one religion to dominate the school? NO!! Other children who are not of that religion feel sleigh-ted, and I know that from my OWN experience as well as hearing others express how left out they felt.

Schools are for education. Churches are for religious worship and service. Families and parents are for teaching values and discipline.

We've got it covered, so let schools do what they do best, educate.

Peace.

Answer 9

Well school closes on those holidays but for christmas they call it 'winter break' and easter they call it 'spring break'....so i am not sure if they are allowed to make a big deal about it.

Answer 10

Public schools are closed on observed holidays I thought? They just do not outwardly observe the reason for the closures.