Students spend almost seven hours a day inside school buildings, where what they see and hear becomes part of what they understand as normal. When school culture consistently prioritizes one holiday above all others, it actively reinforces social imbalance. While Christmas songs play over classroom speakers throughout the month, Hanukkah songs don’t make the cut, and most students have never heard a Kwanzaa melody played anywhere outside a cultural presentation, if their school even offers one. 

The Prism holiday performance, which features the music department, is a prime example of the Christmas-centered ideology. The performance features 31 pieces, with only four being Hanukkah songs and no Kwanzaa songs included. While the performance is impressive and clearly the product of immense talent and preparation, its structure directly mirrors a broader pattern seen across schools in the wintertime. 

That imbalance shows up most clearly in classrooms. According to Pew Research Center’s national survey of U.S. teens, less than half of American students identify as Christian, yet the school environment in December often assumes that everyone does. Additionally, 53% of public school students say they regularly see Christian symbols and practices at school. 

I’ve noticed how our school culture unintentionally reinforces the idea that December belongs to Christmas alone. I remember sitting in class during a holiday craft, where everybody decorated stockings. I made mine because it was the assignment, but it felt strange doing it to blend in. Nobody meant any harm, but in that moment, it was clear the activity was not built with students like me in mind. 

And I know many others have felt the same pressure to go along with traditions that aren’t theirs. Hanukkah, which holds deep significance for many families, remains virtually absent from the shared school environment. Its absence is not due to hostility, but rather out of habit. If the holiday season is truly a communal celebration, it should create space for every tradition that shapes the community. 

Adding more diversity to how winter is presented in schools would make a meaningful difference for students who rarely see their traditions acknowledged. Something as simple as acknowledging multiple holidays helps validate students’ identities and reduces the feeling of being an outsider in their own classrooms, whether that means including Hanukkah or Kwanzaa in announcements, adding books or lessons that highlight different winter traditions, or incorporating symbols and decorations other than green and red. 

When students see their backgrounds reflected in the spaces they learn in, they’re more willing to participate, speak up, and share their experiences. Representation also enables students to show up as their full selves rather than editing pieces of their identity to match the dominant culture. 

This shift also benefits students who do celebrate Christmas. Understanding other cultures deepens empathy and broadens students’ worldviews. When you grow up seeing only your own traditions, your understanding of community remains narrow. On the other hand, when you grow up seeing diverse celebrations, you build a more complete picture of the world around you.

There are simple, realistic ways to do this. Schools can diversify winter concerts so the music reflects multiple traditions. Additionally, the morning announcements can broadcast information about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and other holidays. Administration can allow different cultural clubs to decorate parts of campus with elements from their traditions. Teachers can plan crafts that highlight a range of symbols instead of just Christmas trees. 

Schools often talk about inclusion, representation, and belonging. December is the perfect time to prove those values matter. Winter doesn’t belong to one holiday, one culture, or one narrative. It belongs to every student walking through hallways. If our holiday traditions don’t reflect the diversity sitting in our classrooms, then we are celebrating the season at the expense of the very inclusivity we claim to value.