Light Celebrations Predate Christmas

* Re “ ‘Keep Christmas Out of School,’ ” Voices, Dec. 16: While I agree with Rabbi Mark Miller that religion has no place in a public school, I smiled at the irony behind the concern about those Christmas lights hung up by school parents. Christmas is certainly a religious holiday, no matter how much we try to secularize it. But humans have been celebrating a festival of light for thousands of years or more. The winter solstice was a universally recognized phenomenon celebrated around the world long before Christmas was grafted onto the ancient Roman feast of Saturnalia. Our association with twinkling lights and Christmas is too ingrained to separate them now, but those parents could just have easily been celebrating the coming of light after the longest dark day. Is that a religious festival?

CATHY LaSCOLA

Santa Monica

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I believe that the position of Rabbi Miller, advanced by so many PC liberals, is very sad for our society. It would appear to me that in this new millennium the one thing most lacking in our society is a solid foundation of values and morals, and anything that further tears the fabric of that from the public forum is to be mourned.

I too am a religious Jew, but I can see the positive impact of allowing Christmas in the public arena, be it the schools or libraries or fire stations. Let’s face it, this country was built on a Judeo-Christian foundation, and a majority of our citizens are still Christians. Those who do not share the Christian faith do not have to participate, but must we purge every particular in case we offend someone? Where will it end? What can possibly be the harm of singing carols and putting on Christmas pageants or plays?

JOYCE HOFFMAN

Laguna Beach

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Whom does Rabbi Miller think he’s kidding when he ascribes to Christmas decorations “deep spiritual meaning”? He writes that “the Christmas lights represent Jesus as the light of the world who came to banish the darkness of sin and therefore these lights glorify, extol and revere . . . the Christian savior.” As a Christian, I wish such were true, but I doubt that one out of a thousand Christians gives any thought to that connection.

If Christmas lights are an offense to a Jew, what should be the Christian’s response to a publicly displayed, universally recognized religious symbol such as the Star of David? Let’s be reasonable and exercise a little tolerance in these matters.

KEN BEMIS

Placentia