Skulls, Skeletons and Halloween

I haven't blogged much in recent weeks but I would feel bad if I didn't make my usual entry about some historical facet of the upcoming Halloween holiday.  Since Halloween is such a conglomeration of traditions and observances - many of which have long been forgotten to modern man - it's important to know where symbols and traditions came from.

You can't go to a Halloween store, party or Haunted House without seeing skulls and skeletons.  In fact, death in general plays a large part in Halloween decor and costumes.  Why this morbid fascination with death?

First we have to remember the meaning behind the term "Halloween".  It comes from the old English All Hallow's Eve.. meaning the evening before All Hallow's Day - which we now call All Saints Day (Hallow being a word for something sacred or holy - holy people - Saints. Get it?).  This memorial of all the Saints of Heaven is still observed within the Catholic and Anglican Churches.  The following day, (November 2nd) is All Soul's Day.. a time to remember our departed friends and family - and most especially those who have died who have no one left to pray for their souls, or even carry on their memory.

All Hallow's Day (November 1st) and by extension All Hallow's Eve mark the traditional month of remembering the faith and works of our ancestors, and a time to remember our own temporal state - the sobering fact that we too shall die.

It is not uncommon to hear of ancient theologians, saints and popes who kept skulls on their desks all year round.  No, they weren't into heavy metal - the skull served as a reminder of our own mortality, and that one day - death too would come to them (us).  Death is the great equalizer, and no matter our stations and status in life, we too shall die.

While society and cinema have glamorized, commercialized and secularized All Hallow's Eve - the use of these traditional symbols of death still remain.  We are reminded that death - whether we see it as frightening or not - is a part of life.  Even Jesus faced death.. and was crucified on "the place of the skull" (Golgotha) - which is why some crucifixes have a skull and cross bones beneath them.

I have always found the study of death - burial - mourning customs - etc to be extremely fascinating and have never had a problem with the skulls and skeletons of Halloween.  I don't really fear death per se.. but rather the means in which I will die.

It saddens me to hear Christian extremists condemn Halloween as satanic and pagan (though there is certainly intermingling between old pagan cultures and Christian cultures when the two came together) because of what they perceive as evil.  If they would dig below the surface of their local costume shops and horror flicks on the Sci-fi channel, I think they would see a lot more value in some of the observances of Halloween.  Sadly though, many Christians today are so focused on seeing evil lurking around every corner that they can't see the good in things.. the hope -- hope that comes even in death... the hope of eternal life.

Any way, that's my Halloween history lesson for the year.  Next time you put out your fake tombstones and skeletons, note the old saying: Momento mori - remember, you will die.

Happy Halloween!! :)

Sacred Triduum and Easter Sunday

I was hoping to blog each day of the Sacred Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday) explaining the complex traditions and observances of the days -- in my characteristic Catholic-History-Geek way, but as has been the case lately.. time seemed to escape me.  So I'll make up for it now! (in an abbreviated version anyway) :-P

Holy Week (Palm Sunday through Holy Saturday) has always been a time of great spiritual renewal for me.  I love our rich traditions and observances.  Sadly though, working in retail I don't often get to fully participate in the liturgical celebrations.

Holy Thursday is the time when Catholics celebrate Christ's instituting of the Mass and the Eucharist -- done at the Last Supper.  After the Mass, the altar is stripped bare in preparation for the solemn remembrance of the passion of Christ on Good Friday.  The blessed sacrament is removed from the main tabernacle and placed in a side chapel adorned with flowers and candles where the faithful can stay and pray before our Lord present in the sacrament for the remainder of the night.

I had to miss the Mass, but stopped in for prayer and meditation after work.  It's nice to be there when the Church has quieted down, and there are only a few of us there - coming and going all night - to visit the blessed sacrament.  I always think of Christ's admonishment to His apostles who fell asleep during his agony in the garden: "Could you not stay awake for one hour?"  -- I often hear Him saying: "could you not visit me for one moment?"

This Liturgy also includes the washing of the feet of 12 men.. in imitation of Christ washing the feet of his 12 apostles before the Last Supper.  This part always made me uncomfortable and I was always glad I was not one who had to have his feet washed.  I could totally sympathize with Peter who felt embarrassed to have Christ wash his feet.  It is a good practice in humility though.. both for the priest and those whose feet he is washing. For the rest of us, it is also a public reminder of the humility we should all strive for as well as the charity we should show to one another.

Good Friday is the day we remember Christ's passion and death on the cross.  Traditionally, the priest wore black - the traditional color of mourning.  Symbolic of the sadness of Christ in His suffering and His brutal death upon the cross.  Sadly, in an effort to be a bit more acceptable to "modern tastes", the Church has since adopted the use of red - which they claim is not symbolic of blood, but the symbol of royalty.. for Christ the King.  I always thought the color for royalty was purple.. but I digress. 

In this Liturgy (there is no Mass or consecration on Good Friday), the priest holds up the crucifix exclaiming: "This is the wood of the cross, on which has hung the savior of the world".  Kneeling, we respond: "Come let us adore!"  After the cross processes through the Church, the faithful then have the opportunity to come up and venerate the cross - symbol of Christ's suffering - by kissing the cross.  



It is always humbling and moving to be attending the Good Friday Liturgy or meditating on the Stations of the Cross at 3pm - which is said to be the hour when Christ died.  It's just such an awe inspiring moment to think of everything that happened at that moment in history.  If you read the account in the Gospels: the sky growing dark, the earthquakes, the veil in the temple ripping in two.  I can't imagine what it must have felt like to see and experience all of that!


Sadly, I did not make it to the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday.  This Mass is not for those who only go to Mass out of guilt and want to "get it over with" as quickly as possible.  I love the richness of this Liturgy - though I rarely get to attend it any more.  It begins with the blessing of the Easter fire - symbol that Christ is the light of the world - the light in the darkness of our sinfulness.  The priest blesses the paschal candle (that big candle used at baptisms).. and lights the candle from the newly lit Easter fire.

The Easter Water... symbol of our Baptism and washing away of sins - is also blessed, and the holy water fonts of the Church are again filled after having been empty since Holy Thursday (or Palm Sunday). 

Easter Sunday is the culmination of all the anticipation of the season of Lent... our penance and waiting is now over and it is time to rejoice!  I love how the Churches are decorated.. and the wonderful scent of Easter flowers fill the air.  Everyone was in their Easter best... one thing I love about my parish.. people still dress to go to Mass!

Going to the "older" traditional form of the Mass, our celebration begins with the singing of the "Vidi Aquam" - "I saw water coming forth from the temple
on the right side, alleluia:
and all those to whom this water came
were saved, and shall say, alleluia, alleluia." (of course we chant it in Latin).

For me, hearing this and seeing the priest bless the congregation with the Easter water from last night's vigil is the official start of Easter!!  Reminder that we have been washed clean by the sacrifice of Christ.

After Mass I headed over to my Aunt Joan's house to have brunch with my Dad's side of the family.  I swear someone in our family needs to move into a hall or something because we always manage to cram a big group of people into the smallest houses! haha! 

My Aunt Joan always puts out a nice spread for brunch while we all laugh and catch up with one another.. as the younger kids hunt for their Easter baskets.

I was treated to another lovely meal at my brother and sister in law's home tonight where Katie out did herself yet again.  Katie has an appreciation for elegance and class, and it shows in how she sets and table and serves a meal!!!   As always the food was out of this world - and it's nice to watch my little nephew enjoy his Easter in the same home my brother and I did when my Grandparent's lived there. - Religious traditions aren't the only ones I like to see preserved!

I'm very fortunate to have the family and friends that I do... who make holidays like this so wonderful!

I hope all of you have a wonderful Easter season!!

Memorias Defunctorum

"Memorias Defunctorum" - Remember the Dead.


The month of October brings with it all sorts of creepy symbolism that to our 21st century mind is nothing more than indulging in our love of horror films.  In actuality, the symbolism of tombstones, skeletons and ghosts goes back to the practice of remembering our deceased brothers and sisters... and a reminder to ourselves that we too will die.


To read an earlier post I made giving a brief history of Halloween, click here.


Putting up the Halloween decorations, I kept thinking of my maternal Grandmother, who used to take my older brother and I to the local Hills department store every October for their annual "pumpkin hunt".  They would scatter piles of hay, and hide little plastic pumpkins within the hay... containing candy... and even a few with certificates for store merchandise.  It was like the Halloween version of an egg hunt.  My brother and I loved this annual tradition, and it still makes me smile thinking of going there with Grams -- then off to McDonald's for lunch -- a Happy Meal served in a plastic Halloween bucket.  Anyone remember those?

Thinking so much of Grams, I lit a candle in her honor and for the repose of her soul.  Doing this made me think of another tradition from my youth, this one coming from my first grade teacher, Sister M. Dorothy F.S.S.J.

In my former parish of St. Joe's (now closed), the founding pastor of the parish was given the honor of being buried in front of the Church he helped to build.  Every so often, Sister would take us on "field trips" to the grave site to pray for Father. 

In such a sterile world where we don't "like" to think of death, it seems like an odd custom.  Sister Dorothy was from a different school of thought however, one that encouraged the living to remember those who had gone before us.. to pray for "the souls of the faithful departed".

I decided to light another candle.  This one for the souls who had no one left on Earth to remember them.  This is another aspect of the Catholic faith that has been increasingly swept under the carpet.  It's a beautiful sentiment, to take time to remember those who perhaps have no one left to carry on their memories.  Remember praying for the poor souls in Purgatory??  Yea.. that's becoming "obsolete" too.  

Ironic.. so many "religion" classes teach nothing more about our faith than "community"... yet we have forgotten to include those community members who have gone before us.

While I have certainly hopped on my religion soap box, again lamenting the laziness and secularist tendencies of modern day Catholics.. I assure you there is a reason for my rant.


Regardless of your own spiritual belief system, there are people out there who volunteer to "adopt a gave" at their local cemeteries.  I think this is an awesome practice of human compassion and historical preservation.
  
Every time I go to a cemetery I find a grave stone that is being overwhelmed by vegetation and un-cared for.  Perhaps that person was the last of their family, perhaps no one else lives in the area, or perhaps the grave is so old, there is no one left to remember that person.  Pick a grave or two and help take care of it if you have noticed no one else is doing so.  Give respect once again to the name of the person on the marker.


One day it will be our turn - who will remember us?

Another year older...

That's right.. yesterday my biological odometer turned over yet another number.  I'm now 28.  Lord have mercy I'm getting old!

I had a wonderful day with family and friends.  I woke up to what seemed like a million greetings on facebook wishing me a "Happy Birthday".  I think Facebook is helping to put greeting card companies out of business... since we can now share greetings instantly over the web.

I LOVE getting the facebook and text message greetings.  Just like on Christmas morning... the whole ride home from Mass my phone will be chiming with text messages of warm wishes.  It's a cool feeling to get so many at once, and realize just how many people are in your life.. and care.  :)

My good friend Bob takes me out to lunch or dinner every year.  This year I decided I wanted a WNY staple, beef on weck.  To me, there was only one place to go for that.. Schwabl's in West Seneca.  Yes, it's a bit of a drive for me, but it's worth it.  The food was amazing and we had a good time.

After lunch, the two of us drove to Allen Town to stop at Q for a drink... or two.. or three.  We met two of our friends there and laughed over some wine... and whatever "summery" concoction Bob was drinking.

Pizza and wings were then dished out at my brother and sister in law's home... along with a birthday cake and homemade coconut cream pie!! DROOOOOOOOL!!!  I LOVE coconut cream pie.  My sister-in-law's mother... who is so kind to me... baked it.  She is an amazing baker!!  It always seems as if I'm doing the baking for other people, so it was nice to have someone make something just for me.

I even got my own personal mini-birthday cake, baked by my friend Susan's 12 year old daughter, Olivia.  From what I understand, it was her first venture into the world of baking.  It was so cute.. and delicious!  She can also bake for me any time she wants.  Heck, I can have a whole baking staff now!

Now that I think about it... I don't want to know how many calories I consumed yesterday.  Haha!

I've always heard you shouldn't tell people what you wish for when you blow out your birthday candles, but I'll tell you as long as you promise to keep it a secret.  I wished for a new JOB.  One thing that is glaring in my mind when I reflect upon the last 10 years of my life is the lack of momentum my professional career has had.  I truly want to move forward with my life, have a stable income and get a place of my own (here in WNY if possible).  If I could have one wish.. that would be it.... and world peace and a boyfriend if the genie isn't too busy.

Happy Flag Day!

I didn't even realize it was Flag Day until I got to work this evening and looked at the calendar. A few years back, I used to wear a stars and stripes top hat to work to celebrate the day... since I was usually out of town for the 4th of July. I tried my best to be patriotic. My growing annoyance with customers however has since dampened my celebratory spirit.

I remember Flag Day fondly from my grade school days.. especially while I was still at St. Joe's (grades K-5). Flag Day was always acknowledged. At the end of the day the school would assemble out front around the flag pole, and the statue of St. Joseph. We'd say a prayer for the country, recite the pledge, and sing some patriotic song... probably "America the Beautiful". Remember singing that after reciting the pledge each morning before classes? Maybe it was just us... or maybe it's an Elementary school thing?

I had a lot of school spirit when I was in grade school.. especially in my former parish of St. Joe's. I loved being out there with the whole school around the flag pole.. my heart swelling with pride for my school and my country. Flag Day was also exciting because you knew there were only a handful of days left before summer vacation... so maybe it wasn't all school spirit and patriotic pride after all. Maybe I just wanted to go on summer vacation. :)

Anyway.. Happy Flag Day!

Easter/Dyngus Day

I hope everyone had a great Easter Sunday!!!

I really enjoyed the holiday. It started with a beautiful Mass at St. Anthony's, followed by brunch with my Dad's side of the family. After brunch, Dad and I went on a 5 miles walk to enjoy the Easter sunshine... and to burn off some of the calories which we packed on at brunch!

My sister-in-law had us over her house, along with her parents, for dinner. We had a great time!! The food was amazing, and our two families always have a blast when we get together.

My brother Joe let us play his Wii. Nothing beats Wii bowling in your Easter best!

Today is Dyngus Day... a Polish American, post-Lenten celebration. I had never been to the parade, so I figured with the beautiful (albeit cold) weather, it was time for me to see it personally!

I wandered around the East Side of Buffalo for about an hour prior to the parade.... visiting The Central Terminal and historic Corpus Christi Church. The people watching was just as good as the parade itself.. it was amazing to see so many people, young and old.. sporting their Polish pride!

I ran into my friend and fellow St. Anthony's parishioner, Mary. She was asked to be a judge for the parade floats along with her charming husband Howard. They allowed me to tag along with them... It was cool getting ushered through the crowd with the "official judges". They were all wonderful people... and parades are always nicer when you're watching them WITH someone rather than by yourself... otherwise.. there is no one to "ooo" and "ahhh" with... or give the old "raspberries" to for the floats that showed little effort.

Howard had me laughing to myself. There he is standing there in an amazing brown pinstripe suit and tie.. a stark contrast from the shorts and t-shirt wearing crowd around him... jotting down notes on every float and group that passed us by. I think he'd be a good guest judge for a show like Project Runway or American Idol. He took his job quite seriously!

Sadly, I left my camera at home. I'm hoping to "borrow" some of the photos Mary took when she posts them on her blog. :)

After the parade.. I hiked to the Mother Church of "Polonia", St. Stanislaus. I have never seen the inside of that amazing Church. And you know what.. I didn't see it today either. The doors were locked! ugh!!!

Across in the Church hall was a big gathering of Polocks eating sausage, drinking beer, and listening to Polka. A friend of mine who was in the parade was over there with his colleagues from work. I tried to make my way through the crowd to say hello.. even paying my $2 entrance fee... but alas, I gave up after 5 minutes. Being shoved into a Church hall with wall to wall beer wielding Polocks did not seem like fun to me. I gave up on my attempt at being social, and headed back to the calm of the suburbs.

No, I didn't hit anyone with pussy willows.. or squirt anyone with water. I did however get hit with the pussy willows by a cute little old Polish lady near Corpus Christi Church. I tipped my hat to her and wished her a Happy Easter... I think however, that the hitting with the pussy willow means we're now engaged. I don't know... my Polish heritage was never stressed much growing up.. so your guess is as good as mine.

Preparing for Easter

This year, Easter dinner will be held at my brother and sister-in-law's home.. which was my Grandmother's house. It will be nice to be there again for a major holiday.

My contribution to Easter is chocolate cream candy. My brother asked for these specifically, and I was happy to oblige.... ok, maybe I did grumble a little. The cream filling is very similar to Cadbury Creme eggs... not exactly Weight Watchers friendly, but delicious none the less.

When I was growing up, my maternal Grandmother made the majority of our Easter candy. She had made her own chocolate solids and filled chocolates for years, and had a plethora of candy molds and forms. Once I reached a certain age.. I started to help her make the chocolate, though not with the enjoyment she had. Grams found candy making to be very relaxing and could do it for hours straight. I find it to be tedious and the smell of the melted chocolate makes me sick after a while.. haha.

Grams, like me, was a very stubborn person when it came to how things were to be done. That meant arguments would arise as to how to make the chocolate and fillings. Gramps used to like to sit in the other room and just watch us bicker... both wearing our aprons and dripping chocolate all over the table. Despite our arguments, we made a good team.

I told Grams that the candy making was going to be a tradition that died with her.. as I had no desire to do the work on my own. Since her death in 2005 though, not an Easter goes by that I don't find myself making SOME sort of chocolate concoction. Never to the extent that she did... but I get out the old heating tray and end up with bowls of melted chocolate none the less. I can still hear her telling me to do things her way.. and I still ignore her advice. haha!

This year... as I searched in my baking cupboard for some chocolate chips to melt, I came across one of Grandma's old plastic candy molds.. this one of the character Woodstock from the Peanuts cartoon. I LOVE all things Snoopy and Woodstock, and used to get one of these in my basket for years. I thought I had thrown all of the molds out since they were much too old for further use. I have no idea where Woodstock came from... as I had not use for it, or come across it since Grams died in '05. I felt all warm and fuzzie inside.. like Grams was reminding me of our times together back in the good old days... in her kitchen... making a chocolate mess!

Included here is one of my favorite pics of my Grams and I. It was taken one year at Walmart when I had to be the Easter bunny for free photo shoots with the customers. I always hated that job... it was the hottest outfit imaginable, and never enough oxygen to breathe!

I was so surprise when my family showed up with Grams to see me. By this time, her balance was rather poor due to a previous stroke.. but she still insisted on trying to sit on my lap for a picture. This is my favorite picture of the two of us... even though I don't look quite like myself.

I miss my Grandparents during holidays such as Easter.. all of them.. and carry them with me in my heart, and remember them all in a special way at Easter Mass.

So as you prepare for Easter.. take note of some traditions you may have... and remember the people who started them, or passed them on to you.

Mardi Gras

Yes.. I made these posts in reverse order. I should have mentioned Mardi Gras BEFORE commenting on Ash Wednesday... but I beg your forgiveness for my chronological error.

Mardi Gras never pulled me to go out and party... unless I was in New Orleans. Now THERE would be something to enjoy!! This year though, I decided to venture out and give it a try.

I went to Q for a drink or two hoping to meet some friends along the way. I did run into a few people I know, and had some good conversations, but mostly I was bored. I've been going out on traditionally big drinking nights figuring I would meet people who perhaps only go out for these big occasions (like the night before Thanksgiving). I'm finding this to be a mistake. All I find are crowds of drunken people... and conversations are not plentiful. Buffalo crowds tend to be cliquey... so when they all gather together like they do for Mardi Gras the odd man out.. stays the odd man out.

So, if you didn't venture out this Fat Tuesday, in my opinion, you didn't miss much. Shame we don't have the New Orleans "King Cake" here in Buffalo... now that in itself is reason to celebrate!

Return to Normalcy

I used to always promise I would keep the Christmas decorations up until the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) which is January 6th. This marks the official end of the Christmas season according to the Church's Liturgical calendar. I have never once made it to January 6th.. in fact... I don't think I have ever left the decorations up past New Year's Day.

This year was no exception. I took down the tree and packed away the decorations tonight (or late late last night depending on the time stamp of this entry). As much as I look forward to decking the halls, I equally dread the looming tasking of un-decking them. Un-decking the halls holds none of the excitement of it's counter-part, and thus makes it much more work-like. Knowing I have this daunting task to perform, I'm eager to get the job over and done with as soon as the time presents itself.

There is a certain sense of refreshment that comes along with packing up the holiday decor. I like to steal Warren G. Harding's campaign slogan for this time of year, which I refer to as our "return to normalcy". Harding used the term to refer to a returned focus on American isolation from European affairs immediately following WWI... I use it in reference to our recovery from the Holiday hurricane which sweeps through our homes and lives. No more baking, shopping or dealing with nasty people in the stores. It's a time when we can kick back and enjoy the calm of the ordinary. I always find it quite a refreshing change of pace.


As I put the joy, excitement and headaches of this holiday season behind me... I enjoy the calm and comfort of the everyday.... the return to normalcy. New knick-knacks gifted to me on Christmas are slowly finding their ways to the shelves and tables while old things get packed away or discarded. New clothes get put in the dresser and closet as old ones get donated or thrown out. It's an interesting transition really... perfect for New Year's.... examining the old, incorporating the new, and adjusting to what change there is while clinging to the reassurance of the familiar.

One of the many nice things about living in Western New York is the change in seasons. By the time you are sick of one season, the next is on its way. The same can be said for holidays. Just when you've had enough of one holiday season, there is a little down time before you get all excited for the next to arrive. It mixes things up a bit... keeps life from getting stale.

Merry Christmas

As I write this post on Christmas Eve, I am thinking of all the loose ends that need to be finished before tonight's festivities.... preparing food for tomorrow, wrapping last minute packages.... There is a lot of excitement about the approaching Christmas celebration, but I'm trying to keep in my heart the real meaning of this feast day.

I am all for beautiful Christmas trees, and a modest gift exchange. It's fun and exciting... it is a celebration after all.... but it's not the trees and the gifts and the dinners which we celebrate. We celebrate the fest of the Incarnation... the word which was made flesh and dwelt among us.

Working in retail during this season makes one too aware of how hectic and chaotic Christmas has become... how worldly, selfish and secular. Think for a moment how you would feel if it was your Birthday and all the people you loved were busy buying presents, decorating and making fancy meals..... then forgot to include you in the celebration. You'd probably be heart broken. Imagine how much more Our Lord feels when we have turned His Birthday into just another reason to shop and get frustrated.

Enjoy your celebrations with your family and friends, but don't forget to include the very special guest of honor this year. Don't just visit Him at Church to "get it over with" then go on with the holiday as if He didn't matter. Keep Him in your hearts, and have a very Merry CHRISTmas!!

All Soul's Day

Today is the feast of All Souls. A time to remember our friends and loved ones who have died. As we remember and pray for those who have gone before us, let us also be mindful of those departed who have no one left to pray for the repose of their souls. It is a great spiritual work of mercy to pray for the dead, especially those for whom no one remains to remember.

If possible, visit your local cemetery and pray for those buried there. There is a beautiful custom of volunteering to help clean up and preserve graves which have been neglected. True, the deceased soul no longer resides in the shell buried in those graves, but it is out of respect for life and the dignity of the person that we honor their memories, and the body which was once the temple of those souls.

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them. May they and all the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in preace. Amen.

Halloween

Wishing you all a frightfully fun Halloween!!!

The Future of Holidays

Every October there seems to arise some controversy as to whether or not public schools should be permitted to celebrate Halloween. While it's true that Halloween has roots in religious belief systems, some coming from older "pagan" cultures, and some traditions coming from older Christian traditions, to the majority of the American people, it is nothing more than a quirky secular holiday. (Click here to see my previous post on the history of Halloween)

It's sad that schools where children are supposed to be taught about multiple cultures, perspectives, and learn about appreciating diversity are now the places of forced sterilization of culture. If something is seen as different from one local ethnic or religious group, protests begin that "it".. whatever custom "it" might be.. should be purged from the school calendar and from practice. This means that everything from Jack-o-lanterns, Christmas trees and Carols to Easter eggs are going the way of dinosaurs in our public schools. Is this a positive or negative trend? Are we helping or hurting our children?

Coming from a Social Studies teaching background, I'm a big fan of multiple diversities and customs being expressed within the classroom. Many of our schools have become a mini United Nations over the past few decades, with multiple ethnic and religious groups merging in districts that were once quite ethnocentric. As teachers, we are encouraged to celebrate all cultures and traditions when possible, rather than just reserving diversity to the "little blue box" in pages of the text book.. separating that information from the mainstream text, or by having "multi-cultural days" spread out throughout the school year.

Instead of eliminating these holidays and observances which have been part of the traditions of our schools and country for so many year, let's use these holidays to educate the students about the origins and history of these observances, tracing their roots back throughout the history of our country, and the countries from which they came. Instead of removing holidays like Christmas because of the religious undertone, why not add MORE holidays and festivities to the calendar? Celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yom Kippur, Ramadan, and any other observances that may reflect the cultural make up of the students in the school. Holidays are wonderful ways to TEACH children about different cultures and the people who celebrate them. Having a Christmas tree in a school doesn't mean the children are forced to worship in a Christian Church, but serves as an example of another cultural aspect that makes up our nation.

How can we teach diversity and respect for other cultures when we constantly protest to have the very expressions of those cultures removed from public life? Appreciate diversity, and celebrate it!

Happy Easter!!!

A very Happy and Blessed Easter Season to everyone!!!