<p>I have volunteered to do the graphic art/layout for a 2008 calendar the sale of which will serve as the main fundraiser for my son’s drumline. I’ve had to include some of the main Christian holidays because the school closes during those holidays and we want the calendar to be useful to parents for planning purposes. But it doesn’t seem right to include these holidays and not make mention of other important religious holidays. We do have many Jewish and Muslim kids as well as kids of the Hindu faith in the band.</p>
<p>I’m trying not to go overboard…haven’t included every single Christian holy day. (For pete’s sake, the calendar would be covered with text if I did that…lol!). I have included references to the Jewish High Holy Days and the start and finish of Ramadan, but I want to make sure I’m doing that correctly. And I need help determining which Hindu holy days are considered most important. </p>
<p>I’ve also included culturally important days like Cinco de Mayo, Chinese New Year, Kwanzaa and even Bastille Day. (Ooolala!) And I’ve got the other basic stuff covered like President’s Day, Martin Luther King’s birthday, Labor Day, etc…</p>
<p>I’m not trying to be PC…but I don’t want some kid in the band to open that calendar and feel like it’s not ‘his’ or ‘hers’ too. I do not want hurt feelings.</p>
<p>Help! Any hints, suggestions? Dates I should not skip?</p>
<p>Talk to some local parents in the religions of concern. Hinduism is so varied, the holidays vary by region. I first learned of Divali when my son was born on it- special for the grandparents; still waiting for it to recur on son’s b-day (variable like Easter, dependent on the moon).</p>
<p>problem is: I feel there are too many for your purpose. But it’s interesting and you’ll be soooo knowledgeable!</p>
<p>For Judaism, so many are listed but I’d say if you named 2 High Holy Days for autumn (Rosh Hashana day and Yom Kippur day) and add this in Spring: for Sat. Apr. 19 2008, note: “Passover Eve, First Seder” then you have hit the 3 high points. It’s not necessary to note Chanukah because while it’s widely celebrated it doesn’t take anyone away from work or other drumming activity!</p>
<p>ldmom: I wouldn’t ask here. Just ask the Jewish, Miuslim, & Hindu drumline parents what is usefull for them. In my town, for example, I’m fairly certain that nobody observes Bastile Day. But St. Joseph’s day is a biggie. Our family is very busy around St. Patrick’s Day with all sorts of gigs, but I’d never expect that to be part of a school calandar in this non-Irish town. It would start to be a useless mess of typeface if everything imaginable were to be included in the event that somebody would feel slighted if his personal holidays & holydays were left off.</p>
<p>I celebrate Bastille Day, because it’s my excuse to serve escargots. I think it’s fun for the calendar to include them. We recently did a calendar for our art association and thought it had gotten too littered with stuff (we had art info too), one of our Jewish members piped up with what she thought were the important dates to include.So I’m agreeing ask the parents - they’re your best source.</p>
<p>lol…have to include Bastille Day…my husband was born in France and had dual citizenship until he was drafted into the French Army. That one’s mine. Seriously…the market is the entire school (students and faculty), so I’m trying to cover events that might be celebrated by the various school clubs as well.</p>
<p>I’m under such a horrible deadline, there is no time to poll parents; though I wish I could because that would be the very best way to make sure the calendar is useful and fair. I’m just going to have to use the links and helpful hints and hope I get it right. Hoping to finish tonight…</p>
<p>As far as how many of the admittedly plentiful Jewish holidays to include… I would say for the calendar to be inclusive, if you have <em>any</em> observant Jewish kids you really need to list all the holidays people won’t work on, plus Chanukah. The no-work holidays because that information is helpful when planning things so you don’t accidentally, say, schedule a major band performance on a day when the Jewish kids can’t play, and Chanukah because it’s so culturally important in America.</p>
<p>Pseudonym, I see where you’re coming from, but in Texas unless she’s in a very traditional enclave of Jewish families, I think that’s overboard. If she means planning purposes of the community of families she serves, I do think the 8th day last day of Pesach or Shavuot, etc. is just too much. There are SO many holidays and festivals, first and last days that are non-work, plus 4 fasting days annually when a kid might be too weak for drumming. And then there’s early darkness in November on Friday nights…the list goes on. Most families involved in these kinds of sports etc. activities are bending these rules to make their kids available to join, or simply not joining them at all. This is well known. </p>
<p>I feel this way: we have our Jewish calendars to do our own planning for seriously observant families. Most of them know not to get invested in groups like sports and so on where there are many days needed for events. Keep it to the important days and keep the credibility of well-meaning nonJews trying to be inclusive in many directions. Sigh. That’s my thought after a decade of this conversation. I appreciate LdMom for even trying. </p>
<p>So I agree with Mathmom’s parent advisor…putting on the first day is fine and good enough. My advice is just Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Passover as the holidays that actually cause people to leave town, etc. to gather with family, and just noting the first evening or first day is enough. Chanukah is a working holiday so it’d only be included for “fun” if at all. How can you ask an organization not to schedule anything for approximately 15 calendar evenings of the school season? Truth is, if you’re very observant, these kinds of activities do NOT fit in well to the lifestyle and observant families already know that, realistically. </p>
<p>Sandy Koufax didn’t play the World Series on Yom Kippur…but he was out there swinging on the last day of Shavuot.</p>
<p>EDIT: Pseudonym, I want to add that you are entirely accurate, but I just feel it’s too technical. Sometimes it can counter-react, where if one suggests 20 calendar notations (what we’re talking about here) for one faith group, the impulse could be, “why even try?” Plus she has many groups to consdier, and the art balance of the calendar. I didn’t want to sound disrespectful of your good concerns, after re-reading my post I thought I might have. Sorry.</p>
<p>I think it is great that you are recognizing the band’s diversity! Obviously, there will be many opinions on what should/shouldn’t be included. Maybe have a paragraph in front regarding your efforts to figure out all the various holidays and ask for suggestions if you do the fundraiser again next year.</p>
I think it’s fun for the calendar to include them. We recently did a calendar for our art association and thought it had gotten too littered with stuff (we had art info too), one of our Jewish members piped up with what she thought were the important dates to include.So I’m agreeing ask the parents - they’re your best source.</p>
Seriously…the market is the entire school (students and faculty), so I’m trying to cover events that might be celebrated by the various school clubs as well.</p>