Holiday! Celebrate! But Wait....

We all notice there are quite a few holidays being celebrated, and so do our kids. Some of the holidays maybe be ones your family observes, and some may not. What do we tell our kids about all the hoopla? Why are people grouchy right before what is thought to be a festive time of year? I don't know about anyone else, but I don't think the holiday music piped into elevators, bathrooms, grocery stores, clothing shops and places of employment are helping the situation. By the time the actual holidays roll around, many of us are suffering from over exposure! People are running around trying to get ready , either gladly exchanging gifts or feeling guilty as they find themselves hunting thru the house for just one more White Elephant. But the one common question that seems to stop parents in our tracks is when our kids ask us "Why don't we celebrate...?" What answer can we give that will simultaneously be respectful of others' beliefs yet still affirm our own for our kids? Is there such an answer? I am pleased to report there is indeed just such an answer! My friend, a native New Yorker now living in Wichita, Kansas, enlightened me and I will share her wisdom. The way she explains the importance of celebrating holidays which are different from that of your own religion is so simple and sweet, it works with children as well as adults. She uses the birthday party analogy, by explaining the concept of when you have a friend with a birthday, you are invited to the party because it is a special day for your friend and you are a special person with whom your friend would like to celebrate their special day. So, you give a gift, you may even get a small party favor, but you know it's not birthday, you understand no major gifts need come your way, and being invited and going to the party pleases both you and your friend. So it's the same thing with holidays. You may not celebrate the same holiday as your friend, or even other people in your own family, but this should not prevent you from inviting them to participate in your celebration or vice versa. My own addition to this wisdom is celebrate relationships, not just the holidays! We live in a world made up of people, not just practices. Learning about each other, and what we believe, decreases discrimination/bigotry/religious intolerance and increases our ability to reach out to one another in a true spirit of celebration. We can believe in humanity all year round. Let us know, let us know, let us know! (Okay, I admit, really bad pun. I can hear my kids now, "No sing Mommy, No sing!")