Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

I like to think of myself as an educated person and respectful of other peoples religions and observances. I actually get annoyed when others mock others for their observances. While I don't know the full meaning of say Yom Kippur or Ramadan, I do know they are very important holidays.

Yesterday while I was at school, I was on line for the bathroom and the woman in front of me asked me if I knew why people had black stuff on their heads. I had said it was ashes in observance of Ash Wednesday, which is today. And she said Ash Wednesday? and I said it starts the first day of Lent. She looked at me like I had ten heads. She asks what's Lent? Now she was next to go to a stall so I said it's a Christian holiday and she started to walk away and still seemed confused but said thank you.

Are there really that many people that just don't know big holidays?

Re: Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

I know all the major ones and whenever I know they are coming up I like to Wikipedia them since I am a huge nerd. I always want to be respectful of everyone's religion even if I find that many people are not respectful of mine. I also don't want to be the one wishing a "Happy Yom Kippur!" or anything like that. I did get a few "Happy Ash Wednesday!" yesterday, not that I am offended AT ALL, I know the sentiment is there - it is just awkward to hear.

Re: Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

I think it can happen often that some people just don't know much about other religions besides their own. I don't think that much of a big deal about it.

My sister works in a school that is run by orthodox Jews, and she is the only "gentile" who is employed there. During lunch and what not, when she first started, she would talk to co-workers and they would ask her all sorts of questions. They had never reallly known anyone of another faith but their own, so hearing about these holidays and traditions was fascinating.

Hearing about their faith was something my sister was interested in as well, and she learned so many more things about them than she ever knew.

Sometimes people can just be a little sheltered in what they learn. But I don't fault them for it at all. Now if they're disrespectful about another religion's traditions/holidays because they don't udnerstand it, that's something else.

Re: Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

Re: Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

I do.

As a kid I went to a Jewish/Kosher sleep away camp (although I am a practicing Catholic) bc my cousin was going (her friends that she was going with are Jewish) and I wanted to go..so I learned a lot about the Jewish religion there and also through friends.

I work with children so I make it a point to learn about their religions and traditions--I find it very interesting and feel that I SHOULD know about them since my population is so diverse--I like to have an understanding of the cultures as it helps me do my job more effectively.

Re: Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

When I was little I didn't know much past Easter or Christmas. I don't think I was expected to absorb the true meanings of other religions as I was becoming indoctrinated in my own. As an adult who lives in a pretty diverse place, it is my responsibility to educate myself. If I don't know something, I ask questions.

Last year (or perhaps the year before - can't remember) I had asked why the Ten Commandments was played around Easter and not Passover as to ME, it was CLEARLY the story of MY faith. I was nicely schooled and learned how that story plays a big part of the Catholic faith.

I like learning about other cultures an religions. Do I know everything? Hardly. I also do not expect that people who are not of my faith, to know that there are MANY more holy days than Chanukah to the Jewish people - like Sukkot, Simchat Torah and Shavuot etc.

Re: Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

Re: Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

yes. My son's father's family (kinda my in-laws) are Jewish and have educated me much... Even more, I have Orthodox Jewish friends who have REALLY opened my eyes...

my student aide is Muslim and I learned SO MUCH from her...

she even prays in the office sometimes.

I went to get my ashes on campus yesterday and in the hallway I heard two chicks laughing (very loud that I can hear them from Mass) saying "I know right??? They have friggen ashes on your head...."

terrible

Message edited 2/18/2010 10:42:11 AM.

Re: Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

Re: Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

Posted by Tilde

Posted by Goldi0218
I also do not expect that people who are not of my faith, to know that there are MANY more holy days than Chanukah to the Jewish people - like Sukkot, Simchat Torah and Shavuot etc.

Wikipedia here I come!

Re: Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

Not as much as I'd like- but I grew up with several Jewish friends. And I have had Muslim and Hindu students, many of them are interested in sharing info about their cultures, either informally or as part of a project. I actually love when kids talk about their cultures/religions- some of them get so into it.

Re: Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

Posted by HeathKernandez

yes. My son's father's family (kinda my in-laws) are Jewish and have educated me much... Even more, I have Orthodox Jewish friends who have REALLY opened my eyes...

my student aide is Muslim and I learned SO MUCH from her...

she even prays in the office sometimes.

I went to get my ashes on campus yesterday and in the hallway I heard two chicks laughing (very loud that I can hear them from Mass) saying "I know right??? They have friggen ashes on your head...."

terrible

Message edited 2/18/2010 10:52:37 AM.

Re: Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

I know the major Jewish holidays, some minor ones as well & some Muslim holidays but other than that no. I don't study every religious holiday.

I don't fault someone for asking about the ashes on people's foreheads yesterday. I think it's great if someone truly has an interest.

Mocking along the lines of the poster's whose SIL was trashing a religion on FB is what I'd have an issue with.

Re: Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

Posted by HeathKernandez

yes. My son's father's family (kinda my in-laws) are Jewish and have educated me much... Even more, I have Orthodox Jewish friends who have REALLY opened my eyes...

my student aide is Muslim and I learned SO MUCH from her...

she even prays in the office sometimes.

I went to get my ashes on campus yesterday and in the hallway I heard two chicks laughing (very loud that I can hear them from Mass) saying "I know right??? They have friggen ashes on your head...."

terrible

Re: Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

Posted by Tilde

Posted by HeathKernandez

yes. My son's father's family (kinda my in-laws) are Jewish and have educated me much... Even more, I have Orthodox Jewish friends who have REALLY opened my eyes...

my student aide is Muslim and I learned SO MUCH from her...

she even prays in the office sometimes.

I went to get my ashes on campus yesterday and in the hallway I heard two chicks laughing (very loud that I can hear them from Mass) saying "I know right??? They have friggen ashes on your head...."

terrible

Last year, a woman that I work with said to me: "We get it, you're Catholic - do you have to go through all of that?" and then again when I was in the elevator with her and another woman: "Matilde wanted everyone to know she was Catholic today."

The strangest part is, that she is a devout Christian. I am not sure what kind, but she only wears long skirts and abstains from all alcohol!

Re: Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

No, I admit that I am not aware of them.

Re: Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

Re: Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

I know of many holidays observed in religions that are not my own, but I don't necessarily know a whole lot about them - depends on the holiday. Some I've had the opportunity to learn a lot about, and others I haven't had the time or interest to seek out the information. But I would never mock someone for their traditions, whether I understood them or not. That's just disrespectful.

To the OP, I don't know if I would classify Lent as a "big holiday" - it's not something that all Christian denominations observe, and it hasn't become commercialized like Christmas and Easter, so I wouldn't necessarily expect everyone to know about Ash Wednesday and Lent.

Re: Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

i'm teaching an adult ed program next week about purim. if anyone is interested, i can send you some materials.

Re: Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

I studied theology - so I know a bit about other religions. But there is sooooo much I don't know.

We have a Muslim gentleman at work. We have some really great discussions about religion and how his Muslim faith and my Catholic faith intersect often in belief and ideology.

Re: Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

I know a lot about the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim religions because that is what I was exposed to as a child.

I recently had Indian neighbors who were celebrating Diwali....that was interesting to learn about.

I really think it is your responsibility to learn about other holidays because we live in a global world!

Re: Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

I'm Catholic but I grew up in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood/school in Jersey and I learned a lot about the different holidays

and then in college a close friend was muslim and I went to mosque with her to check it out.

I find it interesting

Re: Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

Message edited 2/18/2010 2:59:48 PM.

Re: Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

Yes.

I am Roman Catholic, and went to Catholic schools all my life, so I got that one pretty much covered

My Ex was Muslim and the majority of my coworkers, Jewish. So I learned a lot from them.

There was a point where I became VERY interested in Buddhism and read/researched anything I could get my hands on. In general, I find other religious beliefs fascinating, and enjoy learning about the different faiths and traditions.

Re: Do you know many other religious holidays that are not of your religion?

I think it depends on what kind of community you live in, I live in a very racially mixed community, my next door neighbours are from the West Indies, across the street they are Sikhs, next to them are Hindus, and there are several Muslim families on my road also. So because of that, I know all their holidays, however, had I not lived in close proximity to so many different religions, I might not know about their holidays!