Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Heck, in our district a lot of kids are absent the whole week or at least part of the week at the start of deer season. The opening day, Monday, is part of our Thanksgiving break and we are off. I'm a school cafeteria cook, and we make adjustments that week for high absenteeism, when the kids go to "deer camp" with dad (and mom).
There are many, many Catholics in our district, so Holy Week is our "spring break". We are off Wednesday through the Monday after Easter.
That's my point. If most of the kids in an area are of a certain religion, or most have a common issue like deer hunting, or if most help their parents with harvest, whatever, it's ok to close the school down. I'm sure most of the remaining 10% will be ok with it.
The majority of them are. It's not unreasonable to give them a day off if most students would be absent.
That is the key. If at least 20% of a school's students are expected to be off, then make it official. This should apply to the holidays of ALL religions.
If less than 20% are of a certain religion celebrate that religion's holiday, than those students should be allowed to have that day off, but with the expectation that the work they missed will be made up.
I am really disgusted with a small minority wanting to tell the great majority that they are the only ones who should make any sacrifices.
I just about choked on my pretzel when I read the title of this thread, because I would expect it to read, "Not every student is atheist. Why don't school districts recognize that?"
The current trend of having Christmas break in public schools is quickly becoming "winter break" to accommodate non-Christians, and what was once Easter Break and encompassed Good Friday and Easter weekend has been "spring break" for quite a while.
Schools have been punished/penalized for incorporating any kind of Christian content into their celebration of Santa, elves, and reindeer. With all due respect, where have you been?
Whether or not the majority consider Christmas a religious holiday doesn't matter, its secular. It is celebrated by the majority of religions and atheists in the US, it is a federal and state holiday.
Easter falls on a Sunday and is also celebrated by the majority of religions and atheists.
I realize not all school districts follow the same holiday schedule. But I do for the most part think winter break falls on Christmas day.
Pay wall so I couldnt read the article to know just what holiday were of concern. What religious holidays do people not of that religion celebrate.
Personally I dont care what religious holidays school district observe or dont observe. I dont really think most people of any religion use that religious holiday to celebrate religion. I'm just not seeing that secular Christmas is an issue of Christian religious holiday. Good Friday, maybe.
A religious holiday being celebrated by religious and atheist individuals doesn’t make it secular. Many people enjoy festivities of all kinds. Take Holi/Phagwa for example...it’s definitely religious but you can find people of other religions or nonreligious people celebrating it.
If you didn’t read the article and don’t care then not sure what the issue is.
You don’t think most people of any religion use their religious holiday to celebrate religion? Have you celebrated Eid with Muslims before? Diwali with Hindus? Etc.
When you have 25% of your students out for a religious holiday, it seems like making that a school holiday is prudent. This has been a debate in my local school district because they have large numbers out for Jewish holidays. They should absolutely give those days off. The secular private schools in the area do.
1,000%. The "debate" starts and ends with this point. I don't think you even need 25% student absences to justify it. 10% is plenty.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mustangman66
Reminds me of Covid; only impacts a small percentage of us, yet the entire population must comply with the mandates.
I'll tell you what: you, and every other person who's hopping mad over the fact that Muslim students get off on Eid al-Adha in places like Dearborn, Michigan can gather in a small, poorly ventilated room without masks and breathe all over one another until your problems sort themselves out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2mares
Whether or not the majority consider Christmas a religious holiday doesn't matter, its secular.
I think you got this one backwards.
Quote:
Originally Posted by thriftylefty
Hunting deer is sacred in many rural school districts. They close on account of it.
Are there any school districts that give off for both the Jewish High Holidays and the first day of deer hunting season? Whoever can find one first gets a prize.
School districts in religious diverse districts should do their best to recognize all major religious holidays or none at all. Another idea is to give students 2 religious holidays and allow parents to choose which holidays their child will have off.
Believe it or not, societies don't have to collectively celebrate anything and everything individual members choose to believe in or do. It is when this belief or practice reaches a critical mass that society typically acknowledges it. There are plenty of schools that recognize Ramadan...in the middle east.
What religious holidays do Christians get out of school for?
Saint Pot skip Friday afternoon to go pray at the lake day. Usually a rite of spring worship for Seniors almost weekly.
Many times Saint Budweiser is also is worshipped along with Saint Pot.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.