According to this week’s Boston Globe, two public school districts are considering a move to drop all religious holidays from school calendars next year. This bold potential change causes us to question, “Should schools drop religious holidays?”

While most Americans would agree public schools should not be promoting any particular religion, views on religious holidays can be considered from a different perspective. First, there is the culture of the area and/or nation. A holiday such as Christmas or Easter could be taken off as part of a standard break (Winter Break or Spring Break) to include these times without a focus on a particular religious holiday. This is currently the approach taken by many schools as these are natural times when families travel and celebrate various traditions.

Another important distinction, and one that can be seen as unique in the United States from recent moves by many Western European nations, is our country’s emphasis on allowing a plurality of religious expressions rather than limiting religious expression. This is, in my opinion, a huge advantage of living in America, and one I pray will continue. In doing so, we allow local school districts options for a broad range of celebrating holidays, not to dismiss them due to a faulty view of separating religious traditions from society.