Yesterday I went to see the dress rehearsal of my daughter's school Christmas concert. It was, once again, cute in a lot of ways, ridiculous in many and downright sad in others.
The general idea was "OnLine Santa", wherein Santa Claus, and a couple of random kids, alternately go online and learn about how Christmas is celebrated in other parts of the world. (Hint: Not by trampling Wal-Mart employees)
Now, I admit that we skipped out before the entire concert was over, but apparently Christmas is celebrated around the world by singing Christmas carols, dancing, pounding on garbage cans and playing guitar very poorly. The Grade 7's were looking at each other as they played, smiling as though they were pulling some kind of joke on the teacher.
What really upset me was that one of the classes actually performed the Christmas story. NOT COOL. I'm sure that the vast majority of students at PWW are from a Christian background, they certainly are white, but this is NOT what I signed up for. Our children's religious education is NOT in the hands of the Thames Valley District School Board. Talk about Santa Claus all you want, but I want NOTHING from the New Testament taught to my children, unless Islam, Buddhism, Scientology, Wicca, Rastafarianism, Pastafarianism and Naked Dancing Llama are also covered.
How does most of the world celebrate Christmas? They don't.
In today's everyday world, here in Canada anyway, Christmas is no longer a religious holiday. We celebrate it by being kind to each other, giving gifts, visiting and being social. We decorate our houses and blow our credit. We tear up at the sight of happy children. Religion need not enter into it, especially with the support of the public education system.
Christmas pageants should have gone the way of the Lord's Prayer a long time ago. Imposing Christian doctrine on our children is a violation of section 2(a) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
It's important to me that the education my girls receive be untainted by dogma or fiction. What's next, creationism? It's a very backwards way of teaching our children, and I don't think that the fact that we live in a small town should enter in to the equation. I refuse to be treated like a redneck.
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6 comments:
I should add... at least there wasn't a powerpoint presentation with glaring grammatical errors this year.
Your point is valid, Luke, but if this is how you feel then you should stop calling it Christmas. That's the name of a religious festival, not a cultural observance. The culture has a right to the lights, the trees, the presents, the winter-y songs, etc. But if you aren't celebrating the light coming into the world as a gift of God, then you should not be appropriating the name. Thanks for the thoughtful post!
Murray
I disagree, I think that the definition has been changed by the actions of the public... it's Christmas, all right, but its definition has been changed. It comes down to semantics, just like the whole "redefining Marriage" argument. If gay people call it marriage, it's marriage. If I call this season of giving, sharing and socializing the Christmas season, that's what it is.
And it is my childs class who is putting on the Christmas story. I'm actually quite excited to see it. You can cover your eyes when she's on stage ;) Kathi
Riley does a great job, too!
i hear ya, I about as non religious as they come. My daughter is an angel in that bible story play. I am not upset or offended, she is just learning a story. Frankly she is thrilled to be an actor, lol.
I am way too excited about seeing the play. I'm just going to let the warm fuzzy feeling of seeing my kids perform stay with me ignoring the fact that I don't believe all the content.
Is someone dressing up as Santa, how offensive for those who don't believe, lol. I hope they don't sing "Santa got run over by a reindeer" cause I don't believe that either, lol
btw, I loved your post
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