Should Public Schools be closed for religious minority holidays?

[Memphis1979]

Originally Posted by Sawdustmaker

Christmas is absolutely still all about Christ.

Maybe to you, but Christmas in my house has never revolved completely around religion. I grew up in a very religious family, church every Sunday, Centrifuge, Icthus, other Christian summer camps and concerts, played in the church band, sang in the chior, Grandfather was a dean. List goes on and on of how much time I spent at church.

But still, Christmas may have had some religious overtones, but in the end it was just about being with family. My grandmother and I would put up a little mainger (sp?) over the fireplace.

But Christmas was about Santa Clause, presents, what I'm getting, who we are seeing, what can we eat, no school and lots of goodies and treats. It wasn't really about Jesus.

Easter is about Jesus, the only reason Christmas became Christmas was because the pagan rituals of green things (the promise of the coming spring, and the cycle of life, eternal life) and mistle toe, and the yule log to get you through the summer solstice, thats all it was about.

The Catholic church didn't even really celebrate Jesus's birth day, it was assumed it was sometimes in January or to April. We know now that it was, if it happened at all like the story, in a warmer month because even the Romans weren't stupid and harsh enough to make people transverse large distances in the winter.

But because of the celebration of the winter solstice, the Catholics didn't like it. So, like many of their holidays and customs, adopted the same holiday, made it "holy" and something to do with Christ, so that you couldn't party and you'd come to the church where they could collect tithes and taxes.

So Christmas was born on December 25th, oddly right near the winters solstice. Oddly, the 12 days of christmas? The advent calendar? All was part of the pagan rituals.

They did the same thing with Halloween, ever hear of all Saints day?

America made Christmas breath again because we had no HOLIDAYS!!!! We rebirthed Christmas as a celebration of the family and present giving.

So spare me the "of course Christmas is about Christ" No, its not, most folks don't do that. You may, but for 90% of the people, its not about Christ. Hasn't been for over 200 years.

Again, Easter, its the Catholics big holiday, and its Christianity's big holiday. We don't celebrate passover, the Jews do, thats their biggy.

[Nunnor]

This thread has died. Need more votes and discussion

[Mictlantecuhtli]

Originally Posted by Nunnor

In the U.S., all Public Schools are closed between Christmas & New Year's (Most often from Dec 24 until Jan 2) and most are also closed for Good Friday (either as a holiday of its own, or part of spring break). Schools are obviously closed for Easter since it falls on Sunday.

In some areas, schools may be closed for Jewish high holidays (Rosh Hashanah / Yom Kippur), and some even for Muslim holidays (Eid).

Around 80% of the U.S. are Christians, 2% Jews and less than 1% Muslims.
Christians make up the largest population in every single state and county.

Should Public Schools be closed for any religious minority holiday?

Good Friday? Really?

Not where I live. Spring break is arranged to occur between the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth quarter. This is obviously fairly fixed, whereas Easter (and thus Good Friday) can occur over a span of several weeks, depending on the year (and usually occurs well after the third quarter/fourth quarter split.

My local school district hasn't offered Good Friday off as long as I've been here (almost 40 years).

Are "most" U.S. schools really closed for Good Friday?

[Mictlantecuhtli]

Originally Posted by Nunnor

Same as Flag days. My point is that only Christian holidays are on the list, and no Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, or Buddhist ones'.

It's just some private website -- they could call Groundhog Day a flag day, but that wouldn't make it any more than the opinion of some person with a website.

[Nunnor]

Originally Posted by Mictlantecuhtli

It's just some private website -- they could call Groundhog Day a flag day, but that wouldn't make it any more than the opinion of some person with a website.

It's the US Federal website, not private like Wikipedia.

[Willsson]

Schools should close for state reasons which may include federal holidays. All federal reasons should be limited to July 04, Veterans Day, Memorial Day and New Year's Day. If my parents want to keep me home for other reasons that should be their choice, without penalty.

All federal offices should be restricted to the same days. July 04th should be all they need to remember any U.S. associated celebration. Same for banks.

[Vic 2.0]

Let all religions be celebrated on the same day/in the same week.

Let the majority (of the school district) rule on which day/week school will be closed.

Let kids and/or families who refuse to change what day(s) they celebrate their holidays deal with it simply by calling in "sick". If they're otherwise good students, missing one or two extra days out of the year shouldn't pose a problem...



Let rewards for perfect attendance be a thing of the past.

[Nunnor]

Originally Posted by Mictlantecuhtli

Are "most" U.S. schools really closed for Good Friday?

Yes, they are, especially in more heavily populated areas. Either as a holiday of its own, or part of Spring Break. Here in NYC, and many towns in NJ, schools are also closed on Jewish holidays of Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah.

"Most" does not mean "All"