Thank you so much for your note about the upcoming Holiday Season and differing beliefs. That is very sensitive and intelligent of you to pay attention to potential diversity in that area and I wanted to reply in some detail.

We aren't Christian. It is difficult to explain what we are, no one label or box fits us very well. I am an initiated Wiccan Priestess (a Witch), we are members of a co-masonic fraternal organization of Kabbalists / Gnostics, and we participate in a variety of nature and mystically oriented communities and include some Eastern practices (Buddhism, Hinduism, Sufism) as well as Native American Shamanism and European Pagan traditions in our eclectic beliefs. Some folks would slap the label Pagan on us and leave it at that.

We have been slowly introducing information and spiritual context to our kids but because we believe everyone, each individual person, should make up their own mind about what they believe and how they practice spiritually, so we have been very careful to give it a light touch. Recently though both our children have been actively interested in joining us at fire circles, want to learn elemental correspondences, they meditate at Ganesha's altar sometimes, and they want to talk to us about Gods and Goddesses. We are thrilled to include them whenever we can but this means they have more information going into this year's holidays than they have in past. Some of it may come out and you know kids can be blunt and shocking sometimes.

Halloween: This is a very sacred time of year for us. Think more in terms of the Day of the Dead than the American version of Halloween. This is a time to honor our ancestors and be in touch with the Other Realms of the Spirits and the Gods which are easer to touch at this time of year than at any other. We do party and dress up in costume but these activities tend to emphasize personal transformation, honoring our ancestors and dead relatives, and identifying with archetypical sprit and God forms rather than being a commercialized candy toting event.
     I am particularly sensitive to the word Witch and the context that is used in during Halloween season. I AM a Witch and it is a title of honor meaning Wise One. It indicates that I have studied hard, made committments to teach and heal, and undergone work and events which were intended to push along my personal development. It makes me an elder in my community whose leadership and advice is sought out. You can imagine that the green faced, black pointy hat Witch is a bit hard for me to embrace.
     While we're looking at common Halloween images; black cats were killed in great number during the middle ages as being demonic familiar's of Witches and bad luck. I never approve of hurting an animal and we love all five of our cats, including the black one.
     Lighting pumpkins is a traditional pagan event. The scary faces are intended to ward of bad spirits who are abroad at that time of year. We participate in the pumpkin thing vigorously.
     This will probably be the hardest of the three holidays to work with / around in class because the American commercialism culture is so strong on this holiday and the Christian majority is very prejudiced and afraid of the older pagan traditions. It also contains concepts which are hard to get across to kids 2nd grade age but I wanted you to know where we are about it.
     Please don't be surprised if my son volunteers the information that his Mommy IS a Witch at some point... it is absolutely true and he should not be refuted! I would volunteer to come and talk to the class about it but typically some of the other parents will be so uncomfortable that it may not be adviseable. Please be do be aware that Wicca or Witchcraft is a Federally recognized religion, there are Wiccan Chaplains in the military now, and that Witch is a title of honor used to identify initiates of this spiritual path. It isn't my goal to push my beliefs on anybody else, but we would sure appreciate not being discriminated against.

Thanksgiving: I don't really do this holiday because I just can't see celebrating a day when European White Folks benefitted from Native American Indian generosity and settled over here when we just turned around and took their land and gave them plagues and committed terrible crimes of humanity against them. I really identify with the Native American Indians and would prefer to honor their culture and beliefs rather than celebrate the beginning of the decline of their culture at the hands of white invaders.
     I feel it would be really appropriate at this season to teach some part of the real history of our shameful interaction with them as an example of how we should NOT do things in future. On the lighter side perhaps some social studies on their real culture and tribes could be included. They are a lot more than some paper feathers stuck on a headdress after all. Our kids spent some of their summer in Arizona this past year and learned a little bit about the Apache and Navajo and Anasazi Indians. There is a lot to learn about their traditional gentle way of life living in harmony with nature that would benefit us now. There are wonderful traditional songs and poems authored by Indian chiefs and leaders that could be shared with children which teach the value of honoring the animals and the land.

Christmas: We celebrate Yule, the Winter Solstice as a significant natural event on the wheel of the year. I have always liked Santa Claus personally and regard him as an archetypical spirit of giving and fun; but Jesus in the manger stuff is strictly off limits in our family. We do have a Yule tree and a moderate number of gifts, these are old pagan traditions usurped by the Catholic converters who worked all over Europe in ages past.
     Any chance you could teach a bit of natural science and explain about the Solstice and the shortest day of the year in addition to the usual holiday stuff? That would really make us feel included and wouldn't hurt any kids religious beliefs.

This is probably a lot to absorb. If you have any questions or want to talk more, feel free to get in touch with me. Again my thanks for your excellent mentorship of my son and for your senstivity to these holiday related issues.