“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”
This statement is quite applicable to this time of year, as the lights and scents remind all of us that it is Christmas time again. The holiday season, as it has come to be called, is made up of celebrations from all religions and walks-of-life.
However, this is not only a month of joy, but also of controversy. For decades, there have been debates regarding the extent to which the holidays should go. These debates regard topics as large as the Christmas tree on the National Mall, to sites as small as decorations in the shopping mall. Now, these debates have come even closer to home, as some question the appropriateness of the placement of a Christmas tree in the main office here at AHS. So the age-old question arises: how appropriate is it?
In a religiously diverse school such as AHS, it seems quite ironic that a Christmas tree has found itself a place in the main office. The Christmas spirit and joy that this holiday brings, along with the happiness that emanates from other holidays, are what makes this season so special. But this is not necessarily the general consensus.
“It is probably a better idea not to have a Christmas tree [in the main office], because it might offend some people who don’t celebrate the holiday,” freshman Christine Tamir said.
By no means is anyone in this school trying to offend those who don’t celebrate the holiday, but instead to celebrate the joy and spread the “Christmas Spirit.”
Meanwhile, there are students who do not perceive it the same way. If this area had a majority Jewish population, would it be appropriate for a Menorah and images of other Hanukkah icons to be posted in the main office? No.
With this in mind, it would be more appropriate for snowflakes or images of snowmen to be posted, which encompass the holiday season as a whole.
How would a solution of creating images of all of the holidays celebrated during this time go over? Just like on the National Mall, it would ease the majority’s opinion, but what do the Atheists have to say?
At this point, one might be asking what the big deal is with the Christmas tree and that no one is trying to offend anyone.
However, the Christmas tree is the icon for a Christian holiday, and the bottom line is that during this time of year, it is important to be aware of others and that at a diverse school such as AHS, beliefs stretch all over the spectrum.
