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Religious Holiday Celebrations in Public Schools |
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Public school officials need
to be especially conscious at this time of year that the birth of the Christian
Savior is not recognized or celebrated by all students and families. Therefore,
here is a quick (not meant to be exhaustive) checklist of what public school
officials are prohibited from doing and what they are permitted to do.
1. Prohibited
Activities
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Displays of religious symbols such as a crèche,
an angel, a menorah, or a banner with a religious message ("Gloria in Excelsis
Deo," e.g.).
- Display of a Christmas tree with religious
symbols such as stars, angels, the Baby Jesus.
- School-wide prayer or Scripture readings.
- A musical concert with exclusively religious
music.
- Banning students from offering candy canes or
other items with a religious message during noninstructional time
(before or after school or during a recess) and NOT done in the classroom. Schools may still prohibit distribution
within classrooms.
- Holding a "Christmas party" in the classroom. A
"holiday" or "end of semester" or "end of 2004" party is okay.
2. Permissible
Activities
- Including religious music selections during
public holiday concerts if non-religious music is included.
- Holding holiday concerts at religious sites if
the concerts are also held at non-religious sites.
- Displaying a "giving tree," i.e. a tree on which
students hang donated items such as mittens, gloves, etc.
- Displays of religious symbols when combined
with other symbols of cultural and ethnic heritage such as Kwanzaa symbols,
Frosty the Snowman, other festive figures, a "Happy Holidays" banner, etc.
- Displays
of symbols representing many religious beliefs, even without non-religious
symbols. But, just displaying symbols from Christianity and Judaism is an
impermissible endorsement of dual beliefs. The display must present a message
of pluralism and freedom to choose one's own beliefs.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 30 November 2007 )
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