As Bill O’Reilly dedicates his air time on FOX News to the “War on Christmas”, the question one may ask is, ‘What do non-Christians do on Christmas?’ While O’Reilly and other conservative media gurus are complaining about whether or not it is alright for a sales person at the stores to wish the customers “Merry Christmas”, some Americans might feel left out at this time of the year. The Jews have Hanukkah and the African-Americans have Kwanza. The Muslims, however, do not have any holiday at this time of the year. The last time the Muslims celebrated their religious holiday, Eid ul Fitr, around the same time as Christmas and Hanukka was on December 28, 2000. But as the Islamic calendar is based on the lunar phases, it will be many years from now when Eid ul Fitr will fall during the Christmas holiday.
With the holiday hustle bustle which starts two months prior to Christmas, it is almost impossible to stop getting drawn into the Christmas spirit. The inundation of the sale flyers and the never ending emails from merchants are bound to make us want to take a trip to the mall to see if there is a real bargain to catch somewhere- perhaps a 100% cashmere sweater marked down from $200 to $100 or the beautiful down coat that would be just perfect for the sub zero temperatures. But the holiday sales are not the only thing which unites people of all faiths. What about the photo shot on Santa’s lap? Which child will say ‘no’ to a close encounter with the very person who will bring gifts to the children who have been good?
Ruqaiya Asad of Frederick, Maryland and a mother of three knows exactly how to appease her children so that they don’t feel that they are missing out on something.
“I make our own holiday, Eidul Fitr, a very big deal. When Eid fell around Christmas time, there wasn’t any issue. But since it has been falling at different times, I try to compensate by decorating the house with lights and giving gifts to the children,” Asad said.
But Christmas is a time when families can spend quality time with each other. Since most businesses are closed on the day, it becomes a day for relaxation and catching up. Asad’s project for this holiday is to paint her living room with the help of her children.
Christmas time can be difficult for Muslim children. They see their classmates mostly talk about gifts and what they expect to get from ‘Santa’.
“Yes, at times I do feel left out,” said Sadiq Asad, a tenth grader at St. Maria Goretti, Hagerstown. “It’s difficult not to get excited seeing others talking about what gifts they are going to get this Christmas. But I also feel positive at this time of the year. People are friendlier and they are generally in a good mood,” Asad said. “I like being home with my family and use the day off to catch up around the house and visit my aunts and uncles,” he added.
Sadiq Asad’s friend and school mate, Shamyla Malik of Frederick, Maryland, feels the similar isolation during the Christmas season. She does however, copes well with the situation.
“I do miss not being able to put up a Christmas tree with all its decorations, but we have our own holiday, Eidul Fitr, and we decorate the house with lights to make it look festive,” Malik said. “Sometimes my friends ask me if they can give me presents and I tell them ‘sure’. I do get an opportunity to tell my friends about my own holidays,” she added.
Is there a cultural aspect of Christmas that can be enjoyed by Christians and non-Christians alike? Gail Dawson, Adjunct Professor of Religious Studies at Northern Virginia Community College thinks that it can.
“Now, I think there is so much to enjoy about the cultural aspects of Christmas--the tree, the gifts, the parties--that now I think that this is a cultural observance that can be enjoyed by all! Like at work--we did one of those "white elephant" exchanges and, since the amount of the gifts were modest, $10 - $15, it was fun to open them and laugh over them and "steal" them according to the game. Plus we brought in food and had a potluck lunch. There were no religious aspects to it but we all had a good time, sharing our food in one of the conference rooms and enjoying a variety of different things to eat,” Dawson said.
Of course, there is more to Christmas than trees, presents, and parties. It is a time for reflection and reaching out to the poor and needy. Donating to various charities is at its peak during this time of the year. The non-Christians are also able to participate in charitable work.
“We can all become more conscious of our needy neighbors. We can adopt families or send gift bags to shelters. As Muslims, we can work hand in hand with our Christian brothers and sisters,” Ruqaiya Asad said.
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