November 30, 2010, InCultureParent.com
One of my daughter’s Jewish friends from preschool once said that she liked coming to our house this time of year because we were the only other people who did not have a Christmas tree, either. Her mother described the conflict her child felt at school having to do Christmas-themed art projects such as decorating trees, which, regardless of what you call them, are still Christmas trees. Even a 5-year-old could see this. Is Christmas any less Christian if you put up a Bodhi Day tree?
It felt good to know that she found comfort in our home, although I had to confess that the real reason we did not have a Christmas tree at that time was that we used to always travel over the holidays. I was raised Catholic. We do celebrate Christmas. However, we did it reflexively.
So then I nearly scared my children to death with the pronouncement, “Now that we’re Buddhist, maybe we shouldn’t celebrate Christmas anymore.”
You can imagine their response, “NOOOOO!!!!”
click on link for more: Is Christmas any less Christian if you put up a Bodhi Day tree? | InCultureParent
Why not still celebrate the family traditions of Christmas you were raised with and you would like to pass to your children? I'm not Christian (in fact, investigating Buddhism myself), but I'm very invested in Christmas as a family tradition. I don't want to abandon these traditions that I have so many fond attachments to, and want to pass to my children.
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