I was born in Richmond, Virginia July 7th 1994. I don't remember very much of that time since I was very young. However, as I am told my mother home schooled me at first. But, as many little children are, I was quite a handful and did not want to sit down and do any schoolwork. My mom, exhausted sent me to public school kindergarten when I was around 5 years old. At first, because I was not use to being around so many kids, I was very shy and obedient. I did not talk in class (I had no friends at first, who's to talk to) and did my work very silently. I behaved so well, in fact my teacher moved me to another table, where a noisier, misbehaving child sat. My teacher hoped my good behavior might rub off on this child. But what happened was the opposite, I began to act like he was behaving and stopped acting like a Christian child should act. To my credit, I did do this one honorable thing during my naughty days. Once again, I remember it very vaguely but my parents said it is so. During Christmas time, the teacher asked us what Christmas was about. Other kids were shouting out ' Presents! Gifts! Santa Claus! Reindeer!' and things to that extent. Not knowing I was violating the Bill of Rights, I raised my hand innocently, and with child-like ignorance said, " Christmas is about Jesus being born in a manger in Bethlehem. The teacher, a devout Christian herself told me I could not say that name during class. Puzzled, I sat down and was very quiet for the rest of the day. What did the teacher mean? Later, while I was waiting in the lunchroom for my parents to pick me up, the teacher waited with me. "Oh no!" I thought. "What have I done wrong?" The teacher had waited with me before, usually to tell my parents of my misdeeds. But this time when my parents arrived, she told them what I had said. She looked at me and my parents and told us how proud she was of me for knowing the real reason for the season.
3 comments:
That is a cool story! It's sad the government has misinterpreted the constitution and used certain passages as a license to repress the free exercise of religion.
To be fair... there is no law or regulation that prevents kids from talking about Christmas. Indeed it doesnt make sense that your teacher would allow talking about the holiday but then not talk about the origins. More like being a bad teacher than anything else!
Also, just FYI... Christmas now obviously celebrates the birth of Jesus, but this history of the celebration is more complex than that.
First of all, Christmas was not celebrated until later than 354 CE! And it was not firmly established until around 400 CE. Christmas as we know it today (roughly) started around 800 CE.
But the real origin comes from a "pagan" (meaning non Christian) celebration called "Dies Natalis Solis Invicti."
"They call it the 'Birthday of the Unconquered'. Who indeed is so unconquered as Our Lord . . .?"
That thinking was logical, so late December was chosen as the date to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Obviously no one knew then, nor now exactly the true day of the year.
Just some history. :)
Thanks for that histiry, R2K i did't know all that. And also, thank you for commenting, ErIK b.
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