The Daily Dose (December 9, 2011) Deck the Halls? A Holiday dilemma from Charlotte.

By On December 9, 2011 · 3 Comments · In Daily Dose (No Blogisode)

Hello all, Sharon here.  Charlotte is begging me to blog and I’m going to let her do it, forgoing a blogisode today.  It’s a relief for me because Beatrix has been sick and Rob’s out of town.  Beaz has had a fever and up a lot at night, so I’m (sing it with me) running on empty….and not quite blog ready.  It’s too bad because I have the most fantastic thing to tell all of you–truly a weird Only-in-New-York-City story about my birthday, so here is my Friday cliffhanger.  What was my greatest wish for my birthday, on a rainy and miserable day, operating on very little sleep, with a sick kid, and no husband in town?  How did I treat myself?  A delicious meal?  A massage?  A day of trendy shopping in Soho?  Check in Monday to find out.

For now….here’s Charlotte with what might be a very politically incorrect blog post…but we at My Own Space, operate

This is frequently what I look like when I blog.

This is frequently what I look like when I blog.

with the First Amendment flag flying.  Here we go.  The management is not responsible for the contents of this post.  First, Beatrix would like to type a word.  She is currently sitting on my shoulders, watching me type and asking repeatedly, “What are you typing?”  I’m going to turn over the computer and then put this turkey to bed.  But first, here’s Beatrix with her first ever blog post.

beatrix

Okay.  Now here’s Charlotte.

Hello!!

To start out, I would like to say, Happy Holidays to who ever goes and lights a candle or who sit under a Christmas tree. This difference, is exactly what I’m to talk about.

Just to start, try to remember 8th grade. The weird moments, the silly ones, the messed up ones, the ones we want to leave behind in the dirt for the dogs… All of it. We all know (excluding my father who SKIPPED 8th grade) that 8th grade is a strange time for all of us.  Then, (for those who are normal and go to middle school and high school with the same people and don’t have to go through this high school thing I’m doing now…) we are all, for the most part, different religions.

When the holidays come around, it gets a little weird, but in NYC, its a whole different ball game. There are people of all different practices. We have some Jews, Christens, and sprinkle in a few Muslim. So its ultra weird when my teacher acted like everyone was the same religion and asked my class to play “Secret Santa”.

UMM… she wasn’t so popular after that. I kinda felt bad for her, but when my other teacher decked out her room (like, hanging santas and dradles) things got really complicated. Not that the teacher was putting up decorations, I’m talking about the class’s reaction.

Everyone was like, “I’m Jewish, and I don’t think it is right to put up decorations in our learning place. I mean, its just… weird!”

Really?

Have you walked into the mall lately?

Anyway, they can worry about their holiday and I don’t want school to screw up anything with my friends and that sorta thing.

I think that if you really like the holidays or celebrate a specific holiday, than you should keep it to your self for the most part. Like in a school of multi-races and multi-religions. Holidays are a family thing, not for a public workspace, school space, or any public space where you can offend people.

For example, my history teacher always gives people a hard time when they say “Jesus”. She said this morning to a kid I know, “You could be offending someone, and I won’t be the one to let it fly like others do about these holidays.” I just think that this is all more sensitive to people than others think.

The Teen

***Mother’s Note.  Charlotte is asleep and I’m struggling about whether or not to publish this, so let me say this.  In my opinion, Charlotte struggles with how she feels about this subject.  What you are hearing is a kid who loves Christmas, who has spent her days plopped down in the Upper West Side of Manhattan.  Most of her friends are Jewish, or half Jewish and half Christian.  From Kindergarten Charlotte has had to explain what Santa was, why we have a Christmas tree and has never participated in a Holiday Concert.  We’ve had to explain to her why she is so unlucky that she doesn’t get 8 nights of Hanukkah gifts as well as a Santa visit.  It’s hard to know how to feel about all of this when you are an adult, let alone as a 13-year-old struggling to make and keep friends, but my guess?  This kid would love to play Secret Santa and sing Deck the Halls.  That’s just my opinion, but she says it.  Being an 8th grade is hard and in her circumstance, the Holiday politics make it tough to negotiate.

To read the next installment in this series, go here


 

 


  
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3 Responses to The Daily Dose (December 9, 2011) Deck the Halls? A Holiday dilemma from Charlotte.

  1. Aunt Barbie says:
    December 9, 2011 at 10:48 am

    Such deep points of thought from an 8th grader–so much to mull over for one born in the thirties–Thanks Charlotte and Sharon.
    With love, AB

  2. Emily says:
    December 9, 2011 at 11:54 am

    There is no pleasing everyone, unfortunately. Being Jewish, I'm the sort of person who, when I was a teenager, often got offended when someone said "Merry Christmas" to me. I've outgrown that now and understand that no matter the words, it's a message of love and to take it as such. I however will say "Happy Holidays" or "Seasons Greetings" instead, in order to include everybody unless I know for a fact I am speaking to a Christian. Especially when I am working a customer service job. But when I was actually ushering for Avenue Q and Le Reve, a few times people got angry with me and would pointedly say "Merry Christmas" or demand that I do so instead, because they were annoyed at how the politics and political correctness has changed things. So, yeah, there is no pleasing everyone. All you can do is follow your heart and do what feels right to you.

    Merry Christmas Wheatley family!!!

  3. Anne Marie says:
    December 9, 2011 at 11:55 am

    Charlotte, you should know that it's my sister's fault that your dad skipped 8th grade. I also think that as awful as 8th grade is, skipping right from 7th to 9th can be kind of awful unless Andrew Nowalk is your best friend and does it with you. :) (My sister skipped into a grade another of our sisters was already in!)

    It also makes sense to me that you would want a way to celebrate stuff everyone can participate in rather than things that leave some kids feeling left out. Are you familiar with Festivus? (It's from the tv show Seinfeld.) It's a festival for the rest of us. I think you guys might want to consider putting up a Festivus pole at school and reading a list of complaints. That's something everyone has. :)