I’m from a blended cultural background, so for me, it’s largely that I’m bothered on the idea of first ideas, than that I’m personally wounded. That mentioned, I’ve pushed again.
I’ve discovered surprising assist amongst what was once termed culturally-conservative christians (earlier than that grew to become a time period that centered on a small subset of political stances not acceptable for dialogue on this discussion board) or “hyper-traditional” christians. They could (or may not) need religion within the public schoools, however they are often very almost as put out by the business, gift-focused (and pagan-symbolism-rich) “christmas-lite” that’s promoted in colleges, as you might be.
“My religion custom bans celebrations of business christmas,” for that motive, tends to get extra traction than “I’m Jewish.” (As a result of Jews are presumed to be “roughly secular”? Or “cheap”? Or “used to it, in spite of everything these centuries”? Or to not be catered to? Most likely relies upon the place you might be, and who you’re coping with.)
Past that, pushing for extra actually “seasonal” shows is my regular default.
Snowflake cut-outs on home windows, for instance, are about as purely “we’re in meteological winter” as you will get (until you might be within the southern hemisphere).
Making peace cranes (yeah, I do know that it’s additionally appropriation, however a minimum of it’s for peace) is one other craft possibility; regardless of occasional makes an attempt to model “peace” as belonging to at least one or one other tradition or counter-culture, it truly is a common thing-to-be-wished for…and people who wish to achieve this, can hold theirs on a tree as an decoration.
Forcing paperwhites and amaryllis is a doable winter undertaking for a classroom when you’re in a colder local weather (to not be taken residence, because the amaryllis pollen might be lethally poisonous to pets, and discover out about human allergy symptoms prematurely, as these may also be extreme).
Sleeping bears and bear cubs in caves is an underused winter artwork theme of lengthy standing, as is “flowers sleeping underneath the bottom, ready for spring.” (Flower fairies books had been standard for many years.) “The primary snowdrop” is one other artwork immediate that’s 100% seasonal, and 100% unobjectionable.
New 12 months’s “trying ahead to 2024” is an possibility for posters or writing.
Introduction-style, “counting right down to the shortest day” calendars are a risk.
I’d in all probability convey Rugelach to a cookie change, and both clarify that I hold considerably kosher through the holidays (not really true) or say that I may give presents, however can’t settle for them, for cultural causes, when it’s completed within the context of a Secret Santa swap.
I’d personally be open to the concept the Secret Santa and the cookie swap are certainly two various things, a minimum of to the purpose of asking how they intend to separate the 2. Your tolerance could properly differ.
I’ve had some success suggesting that the entire reward course of might as an alternative be re-branded as a white elephant change, minus the Santa facet (that’s the place you might discover your most conservative fellow school and employees on board with you, in the event that they’re heavy into “Jesus is the explanation for the Season.”) However that’s as a result of I’m a kind of unusual individuals who form of get pleasure from lengthy drawn out white elephant exchanges.
“That is my annual cultural go to to Mars” is an angle that will get lots of people although the season.
It helped me to see christmas as celebrated in Japan (1.5% Christian; all-in on christmas trappings) or Thailand (1.2%;ditto). China additionally has a “small presents and romantic dates” Christmas custom. This isn’t to say Christmas is, or is usually a secular vacation within the USA. I’d say that it merely can’t be, in a rustic that’s nominally 63% Christian.
However figuring out that christmas features as a 100% secular vacation for a good chunk of the world’s inhabitants could provide help to to re-assess and re-triage “stuff that’s untenable” / “stuff that’s mildly irksome” / “stuff that’s no drawback for me, personally, come to consider it, besides that I’m already overloaded with stuff from the primary two classes.”
