“Crystal’s Soapbox,” published each Thursday, is a column by conservative Texas mom Crystal Arcand who loves to rant about issues that relate to her kids….and yours.
I’m one of those “weird” people that doesn’t celebrate Halloween, so I don’t like it being in my children’s schools. Just like I don’t like Christmas and Easter being in the schools. Huh? Yes, I’m a Christian. Yes, I celebrate the birth and resurrection of Christ with my children. At home though, not at school. I don’t want any religiously-originated holidays in schools. I firmly believe that every family has the right to believe and celebrate whatever holidays they choose in the ways they deem are best for them. It is not the right, nor even the privilege, of the public school system to expose children to holidays and to “just be kids at school” – regardless of what their parents believe.
Parental rights and respect for parents are nullified with the approach that “anything is okay, as long as it’s at school.” These subtleties encourage children to be less respectful of their parents and hand more control over citizens to the government. Children are being trained to look to the government for values. When children are taught that the history and origins of holidays don’t matter and that the holiday can be embraced and celebrated despite the parents’ teaching, they are also taught that their parents’ teachings don’t matter and that they can do anything the government sanctions, despite the rights granted to the parents by the Constitution. Look to the Patriot Act to see it already in action.
Over 200 years ago, the United States government was established to create freedom for all citizens to believe, worship and celebrate according to their individual convictions, and to protect citizens from being proselytized in the governed forum. As a government-run system, the public school system is in place for the purpose of academic learning, not spiritual or religious learning. The separation of church and state provides for spiritual and religious learning in the home, church, or church schools. The public school system should be devoid of any religion, whether Christian, Pagan, Wiccan, Buddhist or Muslim. I am a Christian that believes our Wiccan, Buddhist and Muslim citizens have just as much right to not be exposed to the Nativity as we have the right not to be exposed to Halloween, Buddha or Mohamed.
You also have the Constitutional right to completely disagree with me in the comments – just remain civil and respectful, which is what it’s really all about anyway.
Comments
Sara Welsh
October 29th, 2009 - 11:48:11 AM
While I respect your right to not celebrate Halloween, I'm not sure it's a good idea to take it or any holiday out of schools. Having holidays in schools allows for children to learn about the origins of said holidays and have a better understanding for history and culture. If you take Christmas out of school, what's the point of Christmas break? Why let the kids stay home? Or Easter break? Or any break not related to the sanity of our teachers (teacher in-service days)? I will say I don't find it as fair that we pick and choose the holidays to acknowledge in schools. We'll point out Halloween and Valentine's Day but not Ramadan or Rosh Hashana. Why? This is such an excellent way to introduce kids to different cultures.
Crystal Arcand
October 29th, 2009 - 12:04:02 PM
Sara, you've hit the nail on the head. I've no problem *studying* the origins of holidays and cultures - we should have more of it. How are we to teach our children tolerance of their peaceful Muslim neighbors if they don't understand them? My issue is in celebrating the holidays, because to be equal to all would me all celebrations and no learning in school.
Sara Welsh
October 29th, 2009 - 12:18:51 PM
Oh ok! I misunderstood then! I agree that children should not be trick-or-treating in school or passing around Valentine's Day cards or giving out Christmas presents. I thought you meant to remove the holiday completely and not acknowledge holidays at all. My mistake! :D
sara
October 29th, 2009 - 1:50:40 PM
So, you have "no problem *studying* the origins of holidays and cultures – we should have more of it." Yet you say that you "have the right not to be exposed to Halloween, Buddha or Mohamed." In order to study a topic, one must be exposed to it. How could a student study Ramadan without being "exposed" to Mohamed?
Flyin' By Faith
October 29th, 2009 - 1:57:33 PM
I absolutely love this post. I couldn't agree with you more. I too am a Christian. Within the last 4 years I have been seeking out the truth behind the holidays the even we as Christians celebrate. I was horrified when I found out some of the origins and symbolism. Because of this my husband and I made a decision to not celebrate certain hokidys and to call others ie. Easter what it should be, Ressurection Day. I've also been doing research recently to become more bible based with the holidays the we partake in. I have a 3yo daughter and am dealing with Halloween celebration in her Pre-school class. We've explained to her why we don't celebrate this holiday in our home. And she seems to understand and be ok with that. Her teacher came to me the other day asking me why I didn't tell her we don't celebrate. My DD had mentioned this in class to a teacher. She said that they could exclude her from the crafts and party if I wanted them to. I just explained to her that I didn't want my daughter be excluded. She wouldn't understand that. Not yet. We feel like her core values, beliefs, and convictions are our responsibility to teach at home. We've explained to our child position on the holiday and she understands. The teacher seemed satisfied with my response. So I thanked her and we went on. It would be easier if there wasn't a celebration. I agree with teaching about it. even though I doubt there would be much truth with some of them. But that brings about tolerance and understanding. I know it will get harder as she gets older. I must admit I'm not really looking forward to that much. Thank you again for being bold enough to write this post. I was beginning to think that even as a Christian I was alone in this. Sorry my comment is so long. I'm just really moved. xoxoxo
Flyin' By Faith
October 29th, 2009 - 2:05:22 PM
Please forgive my typos. I was typing on my iPhone while holding my son. I'm slightly embarrassed. LOL. :-D
Crystal Arcand
October 29th, 2009 - 3:11:57 PM
Sara, to me, "being exposed to" a holiday would be to celebrate or endorse it without study and discussion of the holiday. Does that make sense?
Mary Gibbins
October 30th, 2009 - 7:44:16 PM
Not to be splitting hairs, but the historical context of both Christmas and Easter have nothing to do with the birth and resurrection of Christ. Maybe I can accept that as an explanation of why our government-run institutions continue to observe holidays that seem to have evolved into strictly Christian territory. Pumpkins are no more about Halloween than fir trees are about Jesus, yet our population is consistently faced with national holidays based on Christian tradition. What does the Constitution say about that? To use your own examples, "whether Christian, Pagan, Wiccan, Buddhist, or Muslim," I believe that a true education is one that values the wisdom of an open mind enough to trust that our young citizens will not be harmed by simple exposure to the holiday traditions of others. So on that point, I will agree it's something that, sadly enough, can't be taught in public schools -- that particular education can only come from the home. Our family homeschools for myriad reasons, but the most significant of these is freedom of thought. The public school system has somehow become congruent with government standards of so-called family values. That is from a culture that is so bombarded with Christian symbols and vernacular that it has lost the ability to distinguish religion from reality.
sultanna
November 11th, 2009 - 5:19:14 AM
I think this whole post is ridiculous. I wish this was the big worry in our country right now! I am sure you celebrated these same holidays in school as a child. Did you enjoy them?Did they make you a bad person?Did they change the beliefs you were taught at home?If parents do their job and raise their children and not depend on the school system or a day care or a babysitter to do it for them they will know their family beliefs. To many parents today are more concerned with their social lives and work than their children. Wake up people ...REALLY?? you have no more influence over your children than this?? What a pity for the children.
Beth Finch
December 10th, 2009 - 11:34:29 PM
I think we are breeding ignorance by not TEACHING in schools the diverse cultural/religious perspectives. To be tolerant of others is to have an understanding of their beliefs. I am not suggesting we need indepth study but by being void of any holiday traditions in our PRIVATE, secular school, we are becoming bland vanilla. Most importantly, once again, adults are getting their political and religious views in the way of just allowing kids to have FUN. Why can't Halloween just be a day of DRESS UP? I a baffled why the place of learning cannot be the place where we LEARN MORE about others. Lack of knowledge breeds fear and intolerance. Come on grown ups - get out of the way.
Crystal Arcand (3Stairs)
December 11th, 2009 - 8:39:37 AM
Thanks for sharing, Beth. I have no problem with *teaching* diverse cultural and religious perspectives. I take issue with blinding celebrating without education.