Everyone knows the feeling of Christmas just around the corner, even when they don’t celebrate it, but why? Christmas is so synonymous with excitement for winter, but where is that for other important holidays?

First of all, we get time off during December for winter break, allowing people to spend holidays with their families. But, for many people of other religions, this isn’t the case. For Yom Kippur, a very important Jewish holiday, students do not get school off. Those who celebrate are forced to make up schoolwork they miss when they observe the holiday. Isn’t that unfair? On Eid al-Fitr, an important Muslim holiday that celebrates the end of Ramadan, there is also no time off school. Although much of Jackson-Reed is made up of Christmas celebraters, those who aren’t deserve days off for their holidays.

Acknowledging all religious holidays is essential to making JR a place where all are valued. DCPS should give time off for holidays like Hanukkah, Diwali, Ramadan, Lunar New Year, and Eid al Fitr to give equal representation to all. In a school as diverse as ours, this has to be a priority.

It is also important to talk about these different holidays at school. I remember that even in elementary school, during the holiday season, students had to choose between coloring Santa Claus or a Menorah. What I now realize is that from a young age, often, only Christmas and Hanukkah are represented in school.

In high school, many people who celebrate Christmas remain unaware of the other holidays that people celebrate. It should be a priority in early grades that kids learn about different holidays, religions, and cultures around the world.

Providing time off for holidays, not just Christmas, is something that DCPS must do. This issue is deeper than just simply getting time off—it is respecting and acknowledging others’ religions and lives. •