to be pissed off at school for telling DD (5) about Baby Jesus?

[Kalemu]

We don't want religion anywhere near our house, one of the main reasons we chose to send our DD to state school instead of a CoFE school. Imagine my surprise when she came home with a Baby Jesus picture book and singing about the Baby King. This makes me very mad - it's not like we want to keep her in a bubble, but I wanted to have told her the different religion when she was a bit older.

Thinking of writing to the headteacher to let him know our thoughts, and to demand that we're informed next time they plan to talk about religious stuff in class. Do you think AIBU?

If nothing else it is general knowledge and something that they ought to know.

But it's very different to learn about than to be made to practise. Yes, learn about Christmas is and what it means to some people (and, ideally, that many people are celebrating a completely cultural Christmas because they are and that's just as valid a choice as trekking out for midnight mass is). Same with Easter, and also major non-Christian festivals that affect children in the class/school (and not in a tokenistic way).

Don't make them pray.

And it's baby cheesus in this house, because that's what DS2 thinks it is.

oblomov I think most religions have a celebration around this time of year, essentially it's to celebrate the passing of the shortest day. Along the way everybody has made up stories but I hardly think its coincidence that all these religious celebrations come at once.

I think people misunderstand what secular means. It doesn't mean you can't learn about religion, it's simply that the school practises no religion. Religion just becomes a subject like any other, and kids would learn about it the same way they learn about World War II and central place theory.

Although, saying that, central place theory is total bollocks.

abritary I know what secular means, but in that you're BOUND to get some hardcore parents (such as the OP) who expect a secular school to not even mention the presence of religion.

OP for someone that seems to have a pathological need to be religion free in an educational setting surely you must have discussed this with your chosen school? As seeker has said the Education Act 1988 provides that every school, whether religious or secular, must provide a daily act of collective worship. You are free to withdraw your dc from participating in this. A quick google has provided this document which is a helpful explanation (assuming this genuinely is all new to you, which I find rather surprising).

But they're just as stupid as the parents shrieking about erosion of British culture and other forms of moral panic. For both sides, I clarify: secular does not involve sticking your fingers in your ears and shouting 'lalala' so you can pretend religion doesn't exist. I think it would be pretty hard to learn about lots of subjects if you tried to do that.

I don't know how you can celebrate any day, Christmas, Remembrance, summer solstice, Chinese New Year, Halloween, November 5th etc etc etc without knowing the history of it!! It is general knowledge -you can't have a DC saying 'My mummy doesn't want me to know about it because she doesn't like the history of it' and sweep it all under the carpet!

Unless you know about religion you have so many things that you don't understand -current affairs, art and literature and even simple things like why you say 'Bless you' when someone sneezes.

Here you go for starters, Oblomov

Yule

Hanukah

Saturnalia

Birthday of Sol Invictus (complicated; basically 25th December was deemed the Sun God's birthday in ancient Mediterranean cultures]]

There are even more! They're all mid-winter festivals of light, associated with religious stories of regeneration. Lots of eating, drinking, being merry and valuing our loved ones. Yeah, Christmas

Not only were the long nights of Winter Solstice a bit glum for our ancestors - they were pretty keen to encourage the longer days to start coming back - but winter was the holiday time in agricultural communities. Nothing to sow, nothing to reap, all the storehouses full (one hopes) so lots of very good excuses to light up the dark nights and party!

Christmas short for Christ mass. So it would be difficult to avoid explaining who Christians believe Christ to be and why we celebrate it. The original celebration was for the Sun Jesus was actually born in October. Op I think yabu. It's a traditional story and that's how it would have been taught in the school. Agree with earlier post and teachers reaction in staff room etc.

Umm, it did occur to me that OP might have been scarred by some bad experiences connected with childhood religion and Christmas. Not leaping to any such conclusion or saying there are any good excuses for trying to keep DC in ignorance of local customs ... but there probably are people who've been traumatised by Christmas and might possibly deserve some sympathy?

Best to stick middle of the road. I have the idea that many who are violently against it were force fed it as a DC and have turned out exactly like the parent and forceful but with opposite views.
Much better to say ' I believe....' some people believe......' and 'when you are older you will decide what you believe'.

Thank you Poppy.
And thank you even more Garlic. Your links are perfect.

PS talking about atheists knowing about religion, recently Mr K and I (atheists) were the only ones able to recognise and source a biblical reference, in a room full of Christians. Where's the smug smiley?

To understand British culture fully, you need a basic grounding in Roman, Norse and Celtic mythology as well as Christian mythology. Nothing wrong with schools teaching kids about that - and in modern Britain, it's also good to teach kids the basics of Islamic, Sikh and Hindu mythology. But there's a difference between learning about the mythologies, their differences and the things they have in common, and being told by your teacher that one of these mythologies is true and has to be taken more seriously than the rest.

Even Richard Dawkins sings carols. I can understand members of other religions not celebrating Christmas, but can't really get my head around an atheist completely rejecting a national holiday for their kids where the traditions of presents, a tree, a big dinner, seeing your family and even Father Christmas don't bring to mind religion at all. (yes I know Santa is based on a saint, but he and his flying reindeer are about magic, not god).

It's a pleasure, Oblomov!

garlicbaubles yes you explained it much better then I did...feel a little thick now

I can't imagine why OP thinks her DC won't sing carols at school- you get them in all the shops!

It is fairly general for school choirs to sing them in shopping centres!

Perhaps OP can come back and explain where she went to school and what they did for Christmas and why and when she thinks it changed? Or maybe she went to school abroad or maybe she went to a church school and thought it was different for those of us who didn't?

If nothing else it is general knowledge and something that they ought to know.
this children can't go around blinkered and know just what their parents tell them everybody is aware of jesus everybody whether you believe or not ,