EWP On Christmas

A commenter asked in my last post why I was giving out stocking/gift ideas when I don't celebrate Christmas. It's true, I'm Muslim and Christmas doesn't really fall on our calendar of events. But EWP is all about helping other people shop and, for better or worse, there's A LOT of shopping going on right now (We can get to my thoughts on the commercialization of Christmas another day). So the demand is there, who am I not to help out my neighbor (or blog reader)?

Yes, I don't celebrate Christmas, but that doesn't mean I have to deny its existence. My parents raised me to respect the religions and beliefs of others. And while that sentiment seems to be completely out of vogue in this country lately, it is a value that I deem important.

No, I don't have a Christmas tree. No, my children will not go sit on Santa's lap (seriously, it is SO creepy to me to stick a child on a random stranger's lap. NOT going to happen). No, there will never be stockings hung at my fireplace. But that doesn't make me the grinchy Muslim who stole Christmas. How many of you put up decorations for Eid? Anyone? Anyone?

And while it may not be celebrated in my home, I am happy to join others in their traditions and holidays because it is important to them. We celebrate Christmas with my in-laws, not because Mr. EWP or I really care about Christmas, but because it's important to them and we respect that. Growing up if a friend's family invited me or one of my sisters to Christmas dinner or Christmas services at their church, my foreign conservative Muslim parents had no problem with it. They saw it as expanding our knowledge of other people's beliefs and they thought it was just polite to celebrate something important to others when invited. Now how many Christian parents would ever consider sending their children to Mosque with one of their Muslim friends to join in the celebration of Eid? I'm guessing not very many. So I'm just going to go ahead and say my parents may be more on the Christmas spirit of brotherly love than many of the actual Christmas-celebrators.

All this to say, yes, I don't celebrate Christmas, but no, that doesn't preclude me from helping people shop for it. Help thy neighbor and all that.

xoxo,
EWP