I find it interesting that only jewish kids are able to get the jewish holidays off from school. Yet, they still take the christian holidays off as well. Considering Rosh is the Jewish New Year and that they are not Christians, why do they get new years day off as well as Christmas? Shouldn't it only be christians? I don't get it. If you're going to make it a holiday, give everyone the day off that works or attends a public institution.

The schools are CLOSED for Christmas and most of the teachers are celebrating it, too.

When my children went to school in NY, all schools were closed for the Jewish holidays, so everyone got the days off. In Ohio, one school dfstrict did the same, and we moved to that district.

New Year's is a non-religious holiday. Whne Christians go to Church to pray all New Year's Day, I'll go in to work.

SoMerry:

When my children went to school in NY, all schools were closed for the Jewish holidays, so everyone got the days off. In Ohio, one school dfstrict did the same, and we moved to that district.

New Year's is a non-religious holiday. Whne Christians go to Church to pray all New Year's Day, I'll go in to work.

New Year's Day is a Christian religous holiday, celebrating Christ's circumcision 8 days after the original Christmas under various titles (Circumcision of the Lord, Holy Name of Jesus, Mary Mother of God). For Catholics it is a "Holy Day of Obligation," which they are obliged to treat as if it was a Sunday (including attending Mass).

In some foreign countries all Holidays of Obligation (there are 6 in the US) are treated by the government as if they were Sundays, but in the US Catholics simply attend a Mass that's on their schedule.

Jewish kids do not get preferential treatment, their parents decide to take them out of school for those days. My dad used to take me out of school for the Dodgers opening day.

If Welsh parents want to take their kids out of school for St. David's day, or Beatles fans want to take their kids out of school for Lennon's birthday, they can. The school isn't giving those kids the day off.

havelc:

Jewish kids do not get preferential treatment, their parents decide to take them out of school for those days. My dad used to take me out of school for the Dodgers opening day.

Your dad ruled.

Don, New Years day may mean something speical to Christians but it sure as hell isn't a Christian holiday. For that matter the Christians took Christmas from the Nordic winter solstice celebration and Easter/Passover has as much to do with Spring and renewal as Christian ceremony (where do you find the Christmas tree and Easter Bunny in the bible?).When you get right down to it all the nationally celebrated holidays, whatever their origin, have a profoundly secular significance.

mark14:

Don, New Years day may mean something speical to Christians but it sure as hell isn't a Christian holiday. For that matter the Christians took Christmas from the Nordic winter solstice celebration and Easter/Passover has as much to do with Spring and renewal as Christian ceremony (where do you find the Christmas tree and Easter Bunny in the bible?).When you get right down to it all the nationally celebrated holidays, whatever their origin, have a profoundly secular significance.

Jews took Passover from the Spring Equinox, celebration and Hanukah from the Winter Solstice celebration of Antiochus (see the books of Maccabbees).

Christians decided to clebrate Jesus' conception as if it happened exactly 33 years before he was crucified, and so March 25, the guessed-at date of the crucifixion, is the feast of the Annunciation of Jesus. Christmas is nine months later, and since the Bible says that He was circumcised on the eight day (Luke 2:21) New Year's Day is indeed a Christian holiday of long-time standing, celebrated by Lutherans and Episcopalians as well as Catholics.

"Jews took Passover from the Spring Equinox, celebration and Hanukah from the Winter Solstice celebration of Antiochus (see the books of Maccabbees)."

Passover actually is the celebration of the Jewish people's escape from slavery in Egypt and gets it's name from when then angel of God passed over the homes of the Egyptians and killed the first born in all the houses where the doors weren't marked with the blood of the lamb. The symbolism of the objects used in their ceremony does include spring and renewal and it obviously incorporates other rituals associated with the Spring equinox. However that is not the American celebration of Easter which although superficially is Christian by name is much more pagan with it's "worship" of bunnies and eggs. The American New Years celebration is also clearly the celebration of the "New Year', not known as a Christian holiday at all and Hanuka is a minor Jewish holiday pumped up as a me too holiday for Jewish kids who can't quite get into the highly secularized reindeer, tree, Santa thing because of the name.