Light the Kinara! My daughter performed in her (public) school's second grade holiday songfest last week. I was surprised and pleased that they were able to sing several songs about Christmas, including a couple overtly Christian songs, such as Silent Night. They were able to do this because they also sang songs representing other cultures, including Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

We went with some friends to look at Christmas lights last night. As we were walking around the neighborhood, my daughter and her friends started to sing...the Kwanzaa song. They liked this song so much that they sang it over and over and over, very loudly. It should be noted that none of these girls comes from a family that celebrates Kwanzaa. Many people walking by looked at them a bit strangely and wondered what was going on. We finally convinced them to sing Rudolph.

I think it is important for our children to understand and respect other cultures and even to become familiar with some of their traditions. But I also want to ensure that they understand that we celebrate Christmas and that this time of year is special to us for that reason. All cultures are not the same. All traditions are not the same. it is not hateful to say that; in fact, I think it is harmful NOT to say it. We have to find that balance between respecting others and their traditions and faith while teaching our children about our traditions and our faith.  ¶ 9:13 AM 0 comments