Christmas gifts?

[Guest Liz]

Thanks so much for your reassurance and tips, everyone!

When I first started teaching, I worked in a school where the student population was about 10% Sikh. (All of them were such great kids!) There was a large Gurdwara about a block and a half from the school Our elderly music teacher always seemed to put on a Christmas concert that was heavy on the Christmas/religious themes, and I always wondered why the school didn't get a lot of complaints about these concerts from families that didn't celebrate! Some years, I was surprised to see a lot of Sikh students in the choir during evening concerts wearing Santa hats their parents had bought for them!

I had a Hindu friend in high school who so wanted to celebrate Christmas that she got a job at McDonald's in grade 11 and spent a good part of her paycheque putting on Christmas for her family. She bought a tree and decorations and bought her whole family gifts. (As it turns out, she married a Mennonite guy.) Certainly, there are secular aspects of Christmas that a lot of people can enjoy. If I moved to, or was raised in, a country my parents had immigrated to, I'd probably like to be included in some of the traditions, holidays, and festivals, especially those that the culture/community and my peers were completely consumed with.

Thanks for your assistance! Hope you spend the holidays doing something fun!

[Guest]

Thanks so much for your reassurance and tips, everyone!

When I first started teaching, I worked in a school where the student population was about 10% Sikh. (All of them were such great kids!) There was a large Gurdwara about a block and a half from the school Our elderly music teacher always seemed to put on a Christmas concert that was heavy on the Christmas/religious themes, and I always wondered why the school didn't get a lot of complaints about these concerts from families that didn't celebrate! Some years, I was surprised to see a lot of Sikh students in the choir during evening concerts wearing Santa hats their parents had bought for them!

I had a Hindu friend in high school who so wanted to celebrate Christmas that she got a job at McDonald's in grade 11 and spent a good part of her paycheque putting on Christmas for her family. She bought a tree and decorations and bought her whole family gifts. (As it turns out, she married a Mennonite guy.) Certainly, there are secular aspects of Christmas that a lot of people can enjoy. If I moved to, or was raised in, a country my parents had immigrated to, I'd probably like to be included in some of the traditions, holidays, and festivals, especially those that the culture/community and my peers were completely consumed with.

Thanks for your assistance! Hope you spend the holidays doing something fun!

Your welcome.Happy to help any time!

PS:I am gonna cut a tree and and decorate the hell out of it!

[SikhiStore]

Doubt anyone would be offended. Could also try a different type of gift - something related to Sikhi?

Lots of things at: www.SikhiStore.com

[Mehtab Singh]

I am in USA, and 4 years ago my boss gave me a bottle of wine for X-Mas. It was a very nice of her as the wine was probably expensive, but since devout practising Sikhs (which I pretend to be) are forbidden to consume any sort of intoxicants, I didn't even touch it but rather had another co-worker take it for her husband. Now was my boss offended? May be she was! I hope not though! Would you be?

[West London Singh]

Thanks so much for your reassurance and tips, everyone!

When I first started teaching, I worked in a school where the student population was about 10% Sikh. (All of them were such great kids!) There was a large Gurdwara about a block and a half from the school Our elderly music teacher always seemed to put on a Christmas concert that was heavy on the Christmas/religious themes, and I always wondered why the school didn't get a lot of complaints about these concerts from families that didn't celebrate! Some years, I was surprised to see a lot of Sikh students in the choir during evening concerts wearing Santa hats their parents had bought for them!

She bought a tree and decorations and bought her whole family gifts. (As it turns out, she married a Mennonite guy.) . If I moved to, or was raised in, a country my parents had immigrated to, I'd probably like to be included in some of the traditions, holidays, and festivals, especially those that the culture/community and my peers were completely consumed with.

Sikh kids "singing in the choir" ? :wow:

Celebrating christmas with gusto and then going on to "marrying a Mennonite Christian" ? :wow:

You see, as I stated in my previous message , this is where things go wrong. When people uneccesarily go and bring Jesus and Christianity into Santa's big day. I suppose its a difference of continents though. Here in England, where Christianity only exists as a museum relic of olden days and the practices of poor immigrants from sub-saharan Africa, any teacher that dares let a Sikh kid to sing in a choir will instantly be disciplined and the school and education authority will face severe punishment. Not that it could even happen in theory though, coz mainstream schools don't have choirs or anything related to christianity.

So, having looked at all the evidence, this is my conclusion :

Yes, if you are in England, its a good idea for you and your kids to celebrate xmas coz its got diddly squat to do with christianity.

No, if you live in America or Canada, where Christianity still exists to any meaningful level, its too risky to expose your kids to it all.

[Guest cool]

thats really nice of you. I live in canada too and we are sikhs and we still put a small christmas tree up and send cards to relatives.