What Jewish, Muslim and Other Non-Christian Families Can Do on Christian Holidays

Living in a Christian society gives me the interesting perspective of watching people embrace a holiday and being on the other end. Despite America's secular ideology, people of the Muslim or Jewish faith are left stranded in the dark when the American holiday seasons roll around. Despite increasing levels of intermarriages among Jewish men and women who are now embracing Christian holidays, the majority of people of another faith do not feel the same way about American society when the holidays come around such as Christmas or Easter. Thanksgiving has become a truly American holiday that any person of any faith can embrace. Families use the holiday as a reason for the family to get together and have a big meal. The family gathering represents a symbol of being an American and having their ancestors come to this great nation. Yet when Christmas comes in December, the Christmas holiday songs can drive you crazy. Shoppers spend huge sums of money and hundreds of dollars on buying expensive presents. Most stores have great bargains on sale at a great price but more often that not, the price is no cheaper than your everyday shopping experience. It has become customary to buy trees and stockings to put up in the house.

Here are some ideas for activities to do on Easter and other Christian American holidays.

Going to the movies has been an annual ritual for Jewish people and usually on Christmas day you will find theaters packed with Jewish people because there is not a whole lot to do outside. All of the stores are closed and going to the movies is a great way to kill some time during the day and spend time with the family. Some video stores might also be open and you could always rent a movie, sitting in the comforts of your own home.

Another great alternative is to have a family picnic at the park. You can bring the kids along and have a nice family activity that everyone will enjoy. You can also take your kids to the park as another alternative. Arrange for the child's friends to be at the park so that the kids can all play a sport or simply hang out together. You can also arrange to meet your friends at the park and socialize together. You can also bring a newspaper or book and simply read and relax.

Having a family get together is an option that some families do for Christmas. The Christmas holiday gives families an excuse to see each other and go out to a restaurant for a meal. In other homes, the host family cooks a big extravagant meal.

The final option which many families take advantage of is to sleep late during the day. In the afternoon people take care of errands around the house. Then you can sit down and watch television, play a board game, go on the web, or do a crossword puzzle.