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But so are Passover and Hanukkah. I also know plenty of Jewish families who do these holidays - they don't do anything with Easter or Christmas.
However, the egg has religious symbolic significance on the Jewish Passover, which is what Jesus supposedly was all about during the Last Supper - which was a Passover Seder. Supposedly (whether it happened or not, we'll leave for the religious forum, doesn't belong here, k?).
The egg also has religious symbolic significance during the Spring Equinox, which is part of several Pagan religions, including Wicca, which is acknowledged in the USA.
The egg also has religious symbolic significance in most other religions, during the same time of the year, and most of the significance revolves around fertility. That is what the egg "means" in all of these religions - including Christianity. It represents birth, rebirth, growth, fertility. From seed to soil to plant to seed to soil to plant; the eternal growth cycle of life itself.
Rather than isolate it and call it the Easter Egg, why not just call it the Egg? It is what it is. No need to change its name, or hide its name, or hide religion, or pretend it isn't religious, when clearly it is. Just call it decorating eggs. Or egg decorating. Calling it a spring sphere is just as ridiculous to the average Jew, Wiccan, Muslim, or Druid, then calling it an Easter Egg. It's an egg. Call it that.
When I grew up we had Christmas Vacation, Easter Vacation. We celebrated Halloween by dressing up and parading through the hallways of the school. We had Valentines day parties where we passed our Valentines out and we said the Pledge of Allegiance every morning. People are making things so much more difficult these days with all this political correctness c**p. Why do we have to do without because some don't believe. If we get rid of the religious holidays in school that makes some happy, but not all, why would that be fair? My daughters 3rd grade class was not allowed to celebrate Halloween at all because of one child in her class. Is that fair to the other 25 children? No it isn't. Back in my day, if there were kids who didn't celebrate, they stayed home on that day.
Before posting about "how it's not fair to the other kids", imagine if YOU were the one who didn't celebrate. I'm sure you wouldn't be thrilled..
Imagine if YOU were the one who didn't celebrate....then talk.
My family didn't celebrate any Christian holiday, and Halloween is a pagan holiday which MOST people in this country don't actually celebrate. Valentine's day is supposed to be a day to honor a Christian saint. St. Patrick's day - also honoring a Christian saint. We have disnified most holidays, and secularized them, and turned them into excuses to have parties, excuses to have department store sales, excuses to have a day off from school, excuses to overindulge in eating food that's bad for you, excuses to get drunk off our butts and wake up on the kitchen table with a lampshade on our heads, and excuses to wear silly costumes and beg for presents from neighbors.
However. We had ALL of those celebrations in school when we were kids, and enjoyed them all. No one was offended because these holidays weren't celebrated AS RELIGIOUS holidays. They weren't celebrated as Holy Days. They were celebrated as celebrations. If people didn't take themselves so seriously, they still could be celebrated as celebrations.
Christmas break is there because of wait for it... Christmas. We don't have it because of Winter. Spring Break in most school districts (at least around here) is almost always connected to Easter. How weird. I wonder why that could be. This year Easter is way too late for the break to be connected to it.
Where Spring Break occurs is regional. When we lived in one state, we had a break in February (President's Week Break) and another break in April (Spring Break.) Where we currently live, Spring Break is always the second week in March. It has nothing to do with Easter. Maybe it does where you live, but I don't think that's universal.
It is commonplace to give students a break at the end of a school term, and that traditionally occurs about halfway through the school year, in December. Yes, I'm sure it was started because of how it fell with Christmas, and that's why it continues to fall on those dates, but it is a break at the end of the term that takes place during winter. Therefore saying winter break is perfectly acceptable to me, and even matches with spring and summer breaks. I wouldn't be offended by someone calling it Christmas break, but then again, I don't see the harm in calling it winter break if it avoids slighting other families, particularly since our community is very diverse.
Where Spring Break occurs is regional. When we lived in one state, we had a break in February (President's Week Break) and another break in April (Spring Break.) Where we currently live, Spring Break is always the second week in March. It has nothing to do with Easter. Maybe it does where you live, but I don't think that's universal.
It is commonplace to give students a break at the end of a school term, and that traditionally occurs about halfway through the school year, in December. Yes, I'm sure it was started because of how it fell with Christmas, and that's why it continues to fall on those dates, but it is a break at the end of the term that takes place during winter. Therefore saying winter break is perfectly acceptable to me, and even matches with spring and summer breaks. I wouldn't be offended by someone calling it Christmas break, but then again, I don't see the harm in calling it winter break if it avoids slighting other families, particularly since our community is very diverse.
Our spring break is around the 2nd week of March.
What about schools that are on trimesters? Their break between terms is in late October and then again around March. Not in December. There are two schools in our district on trimesters and the high school I went to a LONG time ago was also on trimesters. The break in December was not at the end of a term.
Christmas break is there because of wait for it... Christmas. We don't have it because of Winter. Spring Break in most school districts (at least around here) is almost always connected to Easter. How weird. I wonder why that could be. This year Easter is way too late for the break to be connected to it.
For decades CA public schools had their Easter break (it was called that when I was a kid) the week before Easter. Catholic schools started their break on Good Friday and continued the following week. So it floated around from year to year. It was also a pain in the neck if your friends were Catholic-schooled because you couldn't hang out with them.
I can remember teachers telling us, "Your vacation this year is in March so take advantage of it because it's going to be a long haul until mid-June." (Which is when school got out in the Summer.)
What about schools that are on trimesters? Their break between terms is in late October and then again around March. Not in December. There are two schools in our district on trimesters and the high school I went to a LONG time ago was also on trimesters. The break in December was not at the end of a term.
Good point. The schools where we live are on semesters, not trimesters.
Still, I would likely call it the winter break, the break that occurs during the winter months. To me, it doesn't make a huge difference one way or another. Our family knows we celebrate Christmas over that break. If by my calling it winter break in public, I avoid making someone else who doesn't celebrate the same holidays I do feel uncomfortable or slighted, I feel that's a good enough reason for me.
If by my calling it winter break in public, I avoid making someone else who doesn't celebrate the same holidays I do feel uncomfortable or slighted, I feel that's a good enough reason for me.
So you are hiding your beliefs. No, not me. I stand for what I believe in and it's what makes me who I am and directs my actions from day to day. Not doing so can be misconstrued as a form of hypocrisy by some. What about those that wear certain clothing due to religious beliefs? They wear it out in public for all to see. Women that due to religious beliefs that can not cut their hair, wear makeup, must wear skirts, etc. They are out in public and it tells all around what they believe in. Or women that must wear a hijab due to their religious beliefs. If they can wear their clothing that is dictated by their religious beliefs in public then I have every right to mention the words "Christmas break" or "Merry Christmas" or whatever Christmas in public and I should not nor ever feel pressured to NOT say those words, EVER. When the day comes that were are persecuted for saying the word Christmas or any such or anything religious at all in public is the day we are all in heap of trouble.
The question is, who has the issue? The kids are all fine coloring eggs. You don't have to call them Easter eggs, just eggs. Everyone does little baskets, let the kids call them what ever they want. The kids will call them Easter eggs, and Easter baskets anyway...
I don't think they should celebrate religious holidays in public schools. I do wish the kids would learn about them though, all of them.
Of course we send our kids to private schools so they sing Christmas carols and learn about St. Valentine, which I think is awesome, but I don't think the government should be involved in religion.
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