Kids want a Christmas tree; we are not Christian

[Anonymous]

We are Christians, but my kids have been asking about some of the other holidays like Hanukkah and Kwaanza. In an effort to nurture their curiosity and respect for all religions, we have put a Menorah up in our home and some Kwanzaa decorations. Perhaps this is the approach you could take?

[Anonymous]

We are Sikhs, every year we get a fresh cut Christmas tree, also do lights outside, then again I love the holiday season. To me Christmas tree is more of a cultural symbol than religious, I would suggest put one up and let your kids enjoy it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can call it a holiday tree, it's american

Thanks for calling Jews, and people of other faiths (or no faith) who don't participate in the historically Christian holiday of Christmas. Un-American. Are you voting for trump?

She didn't say that and you are being a jerk.

It is a secular American tradition, right up there with tailgate parties and halloween trick or treating.

Quit being so sensitive and try enjoying yourself a little.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are atheists and have a Christmas tree. Christmas is mostly a cultural holiday. I know the religious people have some special attachment to it, but it's okay to not have any attachment but still engage in the merry making that goes along with it.

So we have a 9-ft tall tree, an ungodly amount of lights, ribbons, ornaments, and etc.

I take pride on having the best tree in the entire street.

Actually, it is not. You're an atheist celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

Jesus was not born on the 25th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can call it a holiday tree, it's american

Thanks for calling Jews, and people of other faiths (or no faith) who don't participate in the historically Christian holiday of Christmas. Un-American. Are you voting for trump?

She didn't say that and you are being a jerk.

It is a secular American tradition, right up there with tailgate parties and halloween trick or treating.

Quit being so sensitive and try enjoying yourself a little.

Actually, it's not. It's a Christmas tradition that has, due to the Christian religious/cultural majority in the United States, become extremely common and normalized. I'm neither offended or threatened by Christmas trees, but it does get a bit tiresome to keep being told that, as an American, they are part of my cultural heritage. They are not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are atheists and have a Christmas tree. Christmas is mostly a cultural holiday. I know the religious people have some special attachment to it, but it's okay to not have any attachment but still engage in the merry making that goes along with it.

So we have a 9-ft tall tree, an ungodly amount of lights, ribbons, ornaments, and etc.

I take pride on having the best tree in the entire street.

Actually, it is not. You're an atheist celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

Jesus was not born on the 25th.

And he wasn't crucified and risen right as the buds were coming out on the trees in Europe (fancy that). But Easter is a still a Christian holiday.

The Christmas tree is not a traditional Christian symbol, and I think if it makes OP's kids happy and feel included to have one, she should, without worrying that she is appropriating another religion. The tree can just be a pretty tree. But Christmas is, for many of us, a deeply Christian and religious celebration - the birth of light into a very dark world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Actually, it's not. It's a Christmas tradition that has, due to the Christian religious/cultural majority in the United States, become extremely common and normalized. I'm neither offended or threatened by Christmas trees, but it does get a bit tiresome to keep being told that, as an American, they are part of my cultural heritage. They are not.

What is the difference between something that has become part of our culture and something that is extremely common and normalized?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I'm Hindu too, and my family always had a Christmas tree growing up. My parents explained it by saying that Hindus are polytheistic and embrace aspects of other religions. Not a big deal in my opinion to get a tiny table-top one if they really want it. I have fond memories of attending Christmas parties at our Indian friends'' houses when I was little, and wondering why the Santa who came to the party was brown, when they were always white in the pictures.

Me too, as did all the other Hindu families I grew up with in the late, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. It wasn't even a question among our peers. My mother remembers celebrating Christmas with lights and outings in Kolkata in the 1950s; there was still quite a bit of British influence. Is the separateness a new thing for more recent Indian immigrants?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can call it a holiday tree, it's american

Thanks for calling Jews, and people of other faiths (or no faith) who don't participate in the historically Christian holiday of Christmas. Un-American. Are you voting for trump?

She didn't say that and you are being a jerk.

It is a secular American tradition, right up there with tailgate parties and halloween trick or treating.

Quit being so sensitive and try enjoying yourself a little.

It is a Christian tradition. I am an American and it is not my tradition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are atheists and have a Christmas tree. Christmas is mostly a cultural holiday. I know the religious people have some special attachment to it, but it's okay to not have any attachment but still engage in the merry making that goes along with it.

So we have a 9-ft tall tree, an ungodly amount of lights, ribbons, ornaments, and etc.

I take pride on having the best tree in the entire street.

Actually, it is not. You're an atheist celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

Jesus was not born on the 25th.

Well, it's pretty doubtful that Jezus existed at all and he certainly wasn't the "son of God". Still, it's fun to celebrate christmas.

[Anonymous]

Op here. Thanks for the suggestions. I also had a Xmas tree growing up (as did my spouse), because our parents did the Xmas tree as part of adopting some aspects of American culture. I remember liking it, but it always felt in some way not enough....like we were faking it. Even as a child I realized I was doing a small part of the Christmas experience, and it made me feel....left out.

Things are different now than when I grew up - there's no need to adopt others' traditions where we live - there are a lot of Indians in my town. My kids are WAAAY more in touch with their Indian heritage than I was growing up, and that is in large part due the changes in demographics, but also what the population has chose to emphasize - religion, language, arts, etc. At any rate, my husband and I really want our kids to be able to turn to the tenets of our faith for guidance through their lives. And we think a big part of that is knowing who we aren't, and who we aren't. And we aren't Christian.

We put lights up outside our house for Diwali and leave them on until Jan 2, so we do have lights during Xmas too. I just think its going to be a slippery slope if I get them a tree. Then it will be presents next (when most Hindu holidays are NOT about gift-giving) and Santa, etc. etc. Where does it end? But I also don't want them to feel sad or left out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are Sikhs, every year we get a fresh cut Christmas tree, also do lights outside, then again I love the holiday season. To me Christmas tree is more of a cultural symbol than religious, I would suggest put one up and let your kids enjoy it.

exactly, thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are not Christian and have always had a tree.

I grew up in communist Russia, and we always had a tree for the New Year's Eve. (My family did not celebrate Christmas. My parents came from the Christian tradition, but they were atheists at the time. I guess.)

So... tree away!

Me too! I'm Jewish and so is DH. We do Hanukkah but also have a tree. We buy and put it up right before Christmas but don't decoratenitnuntil after. It's a New Years tree. So husband and I and my parents all exchange presents on jan 1 . I love the tree and it doesn't feel like winter or the holiday season without one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can call it a holiday tree, it's american

Thanks for calling Jews, and people of other faiths (or no faith) who don't participate in the historically Christian holiday of Christmas. Un-American. Are you voting for trump?

She didn't say that and you are being a jerk.

It is a secular American tradition, right up there with tailgate parties and halloween trick or treating.

Quit being so sensitive and try enjoying yourself a little.

It is a Christian tradition. I am an American and it is not my tradition.

Feel free to work on those dates

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can call it a holiday tree, it's american

Thanks for calling Jews, and people of other faiths (or no faith) who don't participate in the historically Christian holiday of Christmas. Un-American. Are you voting for trump?

She didn't say that and you are being a jerk.

It is a secular American tradition, right up there with tailgate parties and halloween trick or treating.

Quit being so sensitive and try enjoying yourself a little.

Actually, it's not. It's a Christmas tradition that has, due to the Christian religious/cultural majority in the United States, become extremely common and normalized. I'm neither offended or threatened by Christmas trees, but it does get a bit tiresome to keep being told that, as an American, they are part of my cultural heritage. They are not.

The United States of America has many different traditions and ways that people in celebrate Christmas, because of its multi-cultural nature. Many customs are similar to ones in the UK, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland and Mexico.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_traditions