[Note to the humor-impaired: This post is all tongue-in-cheek.]
We just got the official District 150 school calendar. Now I know we haven’t had “Christmas Vacation” for a long time now. I understand the religious sensitivities that led to changing it to “Winter Vacation.”
Nevertheless, the calendar has nearly every conceivable religious and non-religious observance listed on it. There’s “Islamic Ramadan” (Aug. 11), “Jewish Rosh Hashanah” (Sept. 9), “Patriot Day” (Sept. 11), “Leif Erickson Day” (Oct. 9), “All Saints’ Day” (Nov. 1), “Groundhog Day” (Feb. 2), “Chinese New Year” (Feb. 3), and even “Dr. Suess Birthday” (Mar. 2). “Palm Sunday” and “Easter” (Apr. 17 & 24) are listed, as well as “Jewish Pesach” (Apr. 19-25).
But what holiday is printed on December 25? “National Children’s Day.”
National Children’s Day?
What’s even more strange is that this particular holiday is printed twice on the calendar — once on Dec. 25, and once on Oct. 8. Any holiday that’s celebrated twice a year must be something special. So I Googled “National Children’s Day” to find out more about it. It has its own official site, naturally: http://www.nationalchildrensday.us/. It even has an official song (“I Love Being a Kid” by a guy who calls himself “Mr. Nicky”). However, the site says it’s celebrated on the second Sunday in June. (I checked the school calendar to see if perhaps “Christmas” got printed on June 12. Nope.) So, District 150 put this holiday on their calendar twice and were wrong both times?
I had to investigate further, so I checked out Wikipedia. (I know Wikipedia is reliable because I looked up “Reliability of Wikipedia” on Wikipedia, and it said it was reliable.) The Children’s Day entry explained that this holiday “is celebrated on various days in many places around the world, in particular to honor children.” I’m glad they added that last part, because I was wondering who, in particular, was being honored on Children’s Day. It appears the holiday was aptly named. “Major global variants include an International Children’s Day on June 1 as adopted in the former Communist bloc, and a Universal Children’s Day on November 20, by United Nations recommendation.” (This was established during the height of the Cold War, so the adjectival escalation should come as no shock; I’m surprised Khrushchev didn’t counter with a Multiversal Children’s Day.) So far, still no Oct. 8 or Dec. 25. But wait: “Many nations declare days for children on other dates.”
Next, all the countries are listed with their various dates for celebrating Children’s Day. Searching through them, I did discover that Children’s Day is celebrated on Oct. 8 in one country: Iran. Well, the U.S. did celebrate Children’s Day on Oct. 8 one year. “Children’s Day was proclaimed by President Bill Clinton to be held on October 8, 2000.” However the next year, in a show of partisan eye-poking, newly-elected President Bush officially moved it to the first Sunday in June. My guess is he thought the kids would have more fun if the could celebrate their day at the beginning of summer vacation. Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, ever the non-conformist, “issued a proclamation proclaiming the second Sunday in June as Children’s Day…” [emphasis added]. Well, that will show the federal government they can’t push our state around! We’ll just have our Children’s Day on the second Sunday of June and see if Obama tries to stop us.
Getting back to Christmas, there are some countries that celebrate Children’s Day on December 25, according to Wikipedia. They’re all in central Africa: “In Congo, Congo DR, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Chad, Central African Republic, São Tomé and Príncipe Children’s Day is celebrated on December 25 to honour all the children there.” But how many countries celebrate Christmas on December 25? Just about all of them. Even Orthodox churches that celebrate Christmas in January by the Gregorian calendar are actually celebrating on December 25 on the Julian calendar.
Finally, I decided to get an authoritative answer instead of all this Wikipedia stuff. I asked District 150 board member Laura Petelle why District 150 didn’t print Christmas on their calendar. Her answer: “I am forced to assume typo.”
Oh, sure, give the obvious answer! 🙂
They have taken Christ out of District 150. Is it coincidence that it has coincided with it’s downfall?
It’s a good thing they didn’t make a typo on Kwanzaa. The “Reverend” Al Sharpton would have been all over that one.
This does not suprise me at all. That’s why my kids will never attend D150 and I live 2 blocks from the brand new Glen Oak school.
I usually don’t get upset about these taking “Christ” out of Christmas arguments since we Christians ourselves (myself) have done a fairly good job of that by yielding to the more commercial aspect of the season. However, I think District 150 needs to provide a better explanation than a “typo.” I don’t know who makes the decisions to put in the holidays–is that an automatic action by the company that produces the calendar or is each entry a District 150 decision? If it is the former, District 150 should be complaining; if it is the latter District 150 should be explaining. Dave, is there some reason why you believe Sharpton doesn’t celebrate Christmas–I don’t believe Kwanzaa has replaced Christmas in the black community, has it?
Typo= Chritsmas
Leaving if off= on purpose.
Day 4 of school. 4th day of waiting at the bus stop for a total of 1.75 hours over the past 4 days. 4th day of NO bus pick up. 4th day of phones being OFF THE HOOK at Transportation. Will be my 2nd day of a personal visit to transportation with anticipated promises of getting it right the next day and my 4th day of District personell telling me to “be patient it’s always this way”. (I would love to be a fly on the wall if they said that to a Dunlap Mom). New motto for 150 Transportation: “Please be tolerant of our incompetance.” At least none of the girls are showing any cleavage at Richwoods though.
Sharon: He would used it as an opportunity to divide as he always does. BTW, I’m sure he does celebrate Christmas, and has a nativity scene with a little black baby Jesus in the manger.
Political Correctness Will Be the DEATH of this Country.
Dave, do you believe that the baby Jesus was white and blue-eyed? I am amazed–no, I am not, just chagrined. Do you believe that Jesus was born and died just for white people? Do you believe that “God so loved the WORLD that he gave his only begotten son”…? I hope so. Frankly, I believe it is “white” people who have distorted the conception of how Jesus would actually have looked when he walked this earth. That picture that hangs in many of our white churches has nothing whatsoever to do with Jesus’ actual appearance. He probably looked more like the Middle Easterners who are currently the focus of racial profiling and Christian fear and hatred (oxymoron,yes).
Perhaps I should have said “black santa?”
Sharon: I have to admit, I find humor in how you skew the point I was trying to make–which was, the likes of Al Sharpton, Jessie Jackson, etc., soul existence stems from stirring up racial divide. He would have utilized an opportunity like the omission of Kwanzaa from a school calendar to further that goal. No, I don’t believe the baby Jesus had blonde hair and blue eyes. Yes, Santa could be black… blah, blah, blah…
Dave, thanks for the clarification. I don’t disagree about Sharpton and Jackson being dividers. However, I believe that the role of Christians–the role that we were commanded to follow is that of peacemakers. Also, I don’t think the racial identity of Santa Claus has much of anything to do with the Christian message. Why can’t black children have a Santa Claus that looks like them–maybe even a Savior? Please, please, I am begging you to remember that the Sharptons and Jacksons are just reacting to some great injustices of the past that created the racial divide–they did not create the divide; they just haven’t gotten to a place in their lives where they are ready to give up the memories that are more real to them than they are to you and me. Maybe we can help them get over it by being the peacemakers. I would say we could love our enemies, but I don’t regard Sharpton or Jackson as my enemies. That integral part of the Christian message is really a hard one to embrace.
Sharpton and Jackson, DAve Summers utilized this as an opportunity to futher the goal of stirring up racial divide.
Barrack Obama has set back race relations in this country by at least 25 years.
No, I used this opportunity to point out the racial dividers. Big difference.
BTW, I refuse to be spun 😉
As someone who uses Excel often, it is possible that it was a typo… If the calendar was made using Excel, Excel will often autocomplete phrases that were previously typed in based on the first few letters.
If “Children’s Day” was already entered (and considering Christmas is one of the last holidays of the year) earlier, as soon as the writer typed in “Ch” Excel would’ve autocompleted “Children’s Day” instead of “Christmas” which, after a long thankless day of inserting holidays into a school calendar, could look like “Christmas Day” on a cursory glance… especially with such a high-profile holiday. If you looked at a calendar quickly and saw something like “Chxxxxxxs Day” on December 25, it’s not exactly a leap of faith to imagine that your brain would fill in the blank appropriately.
Furthermore, while Christmas is a religious holiday, Christmas Day itself is a national holiday, and therefore should still be on any American calendar as secular as it may be.
Of course, there’s a theory out there that Christmas is celebrated on December 25 because that’s when the Romans celebrated the winter solstice, so if historical accuracy is what we’re shooting for, why can’t we put the pagan back in Christmas? 😉
First of all, I have GOT to love Sterling’s glass half-full view of the calendar. Nice job! (no sarcasm, I promise)
Next, I wonder if CJ ever just sits in front of his computer reading the responses to his posts and shakes his head. It’s amazing to me the direction in which some of these posts are taken. You just don’t know where you will wind up when you hop on the Chronicle train.
Finally, I love coming here. There’s always a comment that makes me think, makes me smile, or drives me nuts. It’s always an adventure. 🙂
My snarky comments always get misconstrued.
District 150 should correct this mess immediately!!If Chldrens Day was put in there intentionally then there should be some new Administrators on their way back to California and North Carolina!
Sterling’s explanation sounds very logical to me. I really don’t think there is anyone in District 150 that would have omitted “Christmas” on the calendar. Common sense says that, if that were the case, Palm Sunday and Easter would have been omitted, also. I can see how writing “Ch” on the computer would automatically bring up “Children”–similar situations happen to me all the time, especially, with my Quicken program–the program frequently selects the wrong payee. However, District 150 should issue some kind of explanation, etc., and an apology or redress from the company that made the error. Honestly, I don’t believe that anyone from California or North Carolina is responsible for this error. At least, I certainly hope that we aren’t paying a superintendent big bucks to oversee the printing of a calendar.
Oops–maybe not so simple Sterling–How did the word “National” get in frong of “Children’s Day”–your explanation (and my agreement) doesn’t exactly explain the situation. Now I am curious as to how this error occurred–hope we get a better answer than “typo.”
I think a call to Stacy Shangraw would be in order.
Oh come on people, does it matter what it is called? Celebrate your religious beliefs on your own. After all, they are YOUR BELIEFS.
You should be celebrating Christmas every day or not at all.
Besides, look at what has happened to the “sacred” celebration… they are putting up Christmas displays as early as October these days. It is a commercial grab fest.
Agree with Charlie. If you want Bible, go to bible school. Enjoy your church, worship anyway you want but don’t ever force me or my family to your beliefs in school. If I wanted that, then I would pay and send the kids to a private religious school.
BTW, that is what is ruining this country. The extreme Religious Right. God has nothing to do with it
For the record, I intended this post to be lighthearted and silly. I’m in no way offended by the calendar error, nor do I think it’s part of some sinister plot. It was just a mistake. A funny mistake, in my opinion.
And we turned it into a theological discussion–guilty as charged–and pleased to see the error only as funny. Now if District 150 could just resolve its transportation problems!
Just remember these folks are the ones teaching the next generation if they can’t something as simple as a holiday on a calender,makes you wander what else they are omitting to the children.
Eye in the Sky, I wish you would give the “new Glen Oak” a chance. We are very proud of our staff and administrators. We have all been working very, very hard this week to make the transitions easier for everyone. I know your children will get an excellent education if you bring them to Glen Oak. Please give the NEW school/staff/administration a chance to prove ourselves. I believe you will be extremely impressed.
Then we will assume Emtronics that you would like ALL the religious holidays off the calendar, is that right?
calendar – duh.
Omitting Christmas is a pretty big mistake. I think CJ you are being too charitable.
Again, why would they purposely leave out Christmas if they put in Palm Sunday and Easter–sometimes a mistake is just a mistake, not a subversive plot against Christians? Charlie is right–we Christians should celebrate Christmas every day. I remember when I first witnessed the change from Easter vacation to spring vacation. I was a student at Bradley, which had over the years had an influx of Jewish students from the East. Common sense and kindness just says that we need to have consideration for those of other faiths–if they return the favor, that’s great. If they don’t, that has nothing to do with what is expected of us.
Sharon – I’m sure they did it to give you a reason to voice your angst.
glen oak teacher; my children use to go to lincoln until one afternoon the GUARD pulled me aside and told me my kids were not safe at the school, because they were too nice. They had been attacked on several differant ocassions in school the staff kept blowing it off as kids playing. Let’s not forget they were in special ed classes and the kids doing the attacks were in regular classes. They will never go into another building owned by D150 again. My two daughters would be able to attend but they are not going. They are SAFE at home with NO guards or THUGS. I also know when Christmas is.
Tablet (as usual I suspect you to be Jim–I guess there could be others)–best go back and read my comments–I did not feel or express any angst. The post just above yours, for instance, where is my angst? I’m sure this was a mistake–probably some goofy technological glitch. As I said in my original comment, 150 needs to complain or explain. I didn’t say it clearly enough–but I was thinking that there are many (as proven by the reactions above) that are going to make this a major “taking Christ out of the schools” argument, so 150 needs to give the explanation, which I believe will be not be at all “sinister.”
C.J.: You really thought this tongue-in-cheek post would be taken as such?
Naive much?
Never accuse me of comment-baiting again.
I predict comments to this post will reach the hundreds and lead, eventually, to a press release from District 150 that attempts to minimize the damage.
I also predict some right wing blog or columnist will pick up on it.
If we can have all the other religious holidays on the calendar then we should also have Christmas. What’s good for one should be also good for the other.
With many issues facing Dist. 150: improving education of children; merging youth from Woodruff to other high schools;
finding a way to continue education with no money from a deadbeat State; making sure the 2 new Community Learning Centers are running without any hitches;
and yet everyone is up in arms about a print mistake in a calendar that some folks probably throw away in the trash anyway??
Dennis in Peoria: When I went to school to become a teacher, the number one rule: NEVER send anything home to parents with grammatical or spelling errors on them. Always PROOF READ. Now, if that is the rule for teachers, shouldn’t that be the rule for ALL district employees? Also, I am sure you did not receive the email from the Supt. secretary telling us about last Monday’s event. FULL of grammatical errors……from the office of the Supt…….
I’m afraid you’re right, Billy. I know that two years ago there was an error on the calendar–I think something about Wacky Wednesdays (can’t remember for sure)–and they actually redid the calendar–and I don’t think the district should spend any extra on just a calendar. I think everyone ought to just get over this mistake. I guess you all know that “Christmas” is not a sacred word–it doesn’t even appear in the Bible. The truth, also, is that all the other religious holidays on the calendar aren’t rewarded with a two-week vacation (or even the day of the holiday). Call it want you will, winter vacation still allows everyone to be with their families and to go to church celebrations for “Christmas” week. Teacher, I definitely agree about the grammatical errors, but I don’t think this errors falls into that category. Please forgive one bit more theological thought; there is only one way to keep “Christ” out of the schools, and that is for all Christians to go to private schools. Christ doesn’t come into a building by himself and he leaves with us.
Can we see that e-mail full of grammatical errors that came from the Superintendent’s office? Who is the Superintendent’s secretary, did that person come from North Carolina or did they already work for the district?
Dennis said: “and yet everyone is up in arms about a print mistake in a calendar that some folks probably throw away in the trash anyway??”
That is my number one problem with many here. It is simply a festival of complaining and some posters simply make it a sport. There is little perspective on what they complain about—in fact, many look for something to complain about. Why? So they can complain!
Teachers have practiced this for years. 🙂
Dennis: I would think that would be a tremendous waste of hard work and tax dollars for people to throw away these calendars. I keep mine on the wall at home, like ALL parents should. It is virtually the bible for school procedures and a visual timeline for activities such as progress reports, report cards, holidays, testing, etc. Each family is to receive one, not each child.
Hey Teacher: I wish I did still have it. I was disgusted and deleted it after reading. I no longer am able to retrieve it.
Here is a complete copy of the e:mail I got regarding the meeting at the civic center:
On Monday, August 30, all District personnel are invited to attend the staff event at the Peoria Civic Center.
A continental breakfast will be served from 6:30 a.m. until 7:45 a.m.
The program will start promptly at 8:00 a.m.
Parking is available in the Civic Center lots. Buses will be providing transportation from Richwoods, Woodruff, Manual, Peoria High and Sterling Middle School parking lots. Buses will leave for the Peoria Civic Center promptly at 7:00 a.m.
Sub, hourly and attendant employees are welcome, but will not be paid for attending the morning session. If you are unsure if your attendance is mandatory, please contact your direct supervisor.
We look forward to seeing you Monday, and are excited about a remarkable school year!
What does one call someone who constantly complains about complainers?
Someone with a sense of perspective.
Here is the e-mail, would you show us all the grammatical errors that angered and disgusted you.
On Monday, August 30, all District personnel are invited to attend the staff event at the Peoria Civic Center.
A continental breakfast will be served from 6:30 a.m. until 7:45 a.m.
The program will start promptly at 8:00 a.m.
Parking is available in the Civic Center lots. Buses will be providing transportation from Richwoods, Woodruff, Manual, Peoria High and Sterling Middle School parking lots. Buses will leave for the Peoria Civic Center promptly at 7:00 a.m.
Sub, hourly and attendant employees are welcome, but will not be paid for attending the morning session. If you are unsure if your attendance is mandatory, please contact your direct supervisor.
We look forward to seeing you Monday, and are excited about a remarkable school year!