Catch the inclusive holiday spirit...

A friend recently asked me why I thought her Jewish co-worker was always gung-ho about decorating their office for the Christmas holidays. She said, "I can't figure her out because Jewish people don't even believe in Christmas!" I used the opportunity to tell her about my best friend who is also Jewish. We've known each other for years and although we live in different parts of the country, we've exchanged both Hanakuh and Christmas gifts, celebrated Passover, Kwanza, Id-al-Fitr and Chinese New Year. We both consider ourselves pretty fortunate to have loved ones from such diverse cultures, and who are willing to share their cultures with us. I told my curious friend that her co-worker was one of those rare human beings who could value the traditions of others without devaluing her own. And I suggested that my friend ask her co-worker about Jewish celebrations and why she also celebrates Christmas; and together they might open some minds and hearts of others about the beauty of the many cultural traditions that are shared by America's diverse family.
Although I hail from a Christian background, my elderly father and I were once invited to a Sedar feast with a Jewish family in Memphis, Tennessee. My father had many reservations about going because he didn't know much about the Jewish faith, was pretty sure he wasn't going to enjoy the food and was also pretty sure he wasn't going to enjoy himself celebrating an unknown tradition with a bunch of people he'd never met. Imagine his surprise when - because he was the eldest person in attendance - he was treated as the guest of honor and was asked to read a prayer to kick off the celebration. On the way home from the gathering, he thanked me for insisting that he go, talked about how delicious the food was and admitted his surprise to learn that Jewish people share a great many things in common with us! Interestingly enough, about two years later at one of our family gatherings, when he overheard someone making a disparaging joke about Jewish people, my father was the first to inform the joke-maker that he didn't know what he was talking about and that he should stop spreading misinformation about people to whom he had little exposure. My dad went on to tell everyone within earshot about the “lovely” celebration he’d attended and encouraged them to do the same, if ever invited.
When we have little-to-no exposure to people from other cultures, our brains operate on stereotypes that are usually negative. Our misinformed knowledge-base tell us that "they do strange things...eat strange food...have strange beliefs...and aren't anything like us!" And from there, we mistakenly think we know all about "them" and have no reason for further education. Consider the fact that many of us were raised in families that seldom ate foods outside of our own cultures. Nevertheless, today's children from various racial and ethnic backgrounds would feel deprived if suddenly they had to live without tacos, pizza, sushi, falafels, gyros, and bagels. Whether we know it or not, we celebrate cultures other than our own on a regular basis in the foods we enjoy, the phrases we use and a host of other things we do daily - like shaking hands, wishing someone "Happy Holidays" and offering prayers of thanks before or after a meal.
During this holiday season, take the time to ask someone about their traditions. You might be surprised to learn that they are not so different from yours or that people from your own racial and/or ethnic background have traditions that are quite different from your own. There are numerous sites on the Internet providing great information about the various holiday traditions of others that you can use as a starting point to educate yourself and your children. And if you're lucky enough to know someone from another culture, just ask them about their holiday celebrations and share information about yours with them. Who knows, a simple exchange of this type of harmless information could very well be the start of a beautiful friendship!
Inclusively yours,
Di Versity