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Winter and Spring Break
Topics: solstice, Kern High School District, Pilgrims, Christmas, Easter
Posted by katking Fri Dec 29, 2006 09:43:24 PST
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0 responses 0 comments On Dec. 21, the Kern High School District trustees changed the name of Winter Break and Spring Break to Christmas and Easter break. 

I would find it hard to understand this surprising action had not Lisa Schencker of The Bakersfield Californian reported many examples of ignorance and prejudice displayed by the trustees and their few supporters in the audience.

Among these was City Councilwoman Jacquie Sullivan's call to "educate our children and let them know this two-week break is because of Christmas."

Indeed, let us educate our children about why we and almost every other culture in the world celebrate a holiday at this time of year. 

We might start with the fact that the first white Americans –– the Pilgrims –– did not.  Although from 350 A.D. onwards Catholics had accepted Dec. 25 as the official date of Jesus's birth, the Puritans and Pilgrims who settled Massachusetts disagreed, believing that this date derived from pagan solstice celebrations. They were correct.

For more than 100 years before the Catholic Church decreed Dec. 25 to be the birthday of the Son of God, citizens of  the Roman Empire had celebrated the Birthday of the Unconquerable Sun (Mithras) on that day, which was originally the solstice. Since the Christian religion was born and spread in the Roman Empire, and the head of the Church was in Rome, it was natural for Christians to adopt this popular solstice festival as their own.

The same goes for the spring equinox, when the pre-Christian Saxons of northern Europe worshiped the Northern European fertility goddess Oestre. The modern spelling of Oestre is, of course, Easter.

In what is now southern California, the Chumash and other Native American peoples celebrated and celebrate the solstice on Dec. 21 or 22. Buddhists may celebrate the birthday of the Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Boundless Light, on Dec. 20. Jewish people may celebrate Hannukah at around this time (this year Dec. 16-23).  Most cultures and religions celebrate a solstice holiday.  Many of these cultures and religions are represented here in Kern County.

We should also remember that one does not need a religious reason to celebrate when the sun apparently wheels in its course, bringing longer days and the promise of spring. 

Yes, majority rules in this country, but the majority does not have the moral or legal right to impose its religious views on the minority. Plurality is as American as apple pie. It is certainly more American than Christmas.

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