We have a bit of a collective tradition household.
My husband was raised Catholic and went to private school through 12th grade.
I went to a Catholic elementary school, but went to Presbyterian church during those years. My father converted to Judaism when I was was 10 and I converted when I was 23.
But neither of us is really practicing any religion these days.
So the holidays could be a bit tricky for us now that we have children, but they aren’t.
We have decided to celebrate secularly (is that a word?) meaning we haven’t chosen one religion.
We teach our children about myths, fables, legends, history, world cultures and religions.
We celebrate many holidays, but always with a secular bend (meaning yes we do a Christmas tree, but not “Jesus is the Reason”). We celebrate the fun of giving and when they’re ready to learn more, we’ll explain using the words “Some people believe…”
We feel that by teaching the kids about similarities between cultures and traditions, we can teach them to think critically and, most importantly, let them choose their own beliefs in their time.
I love it when they make connections between ancient stories and current ones. Have you ever read any of the stories from other cultures that are similar to Little Red Riding Hood or Cinderella?
We also feel that by raising our children this way we we are actually encouraging them to look for similarities among people…rather than differences. And when you find that you have something in common with someone else, you are more likely to be kind to that person.
Our family has instantly become a multicultural one now that we have Maddi. I’m so glad that we have been setting the stage for her to feel comfortable maintaining her cultural heritage as she grows.
How do you teach your children about other cultures/traditions?
