AHS boasts a diverse student body, with several different backgrounds and heritages making up the community. This means that there will be various holidays celebrated among the students.
However, only a select few are actually recognized as holidays in which students receive days off, while others are marked as “cultural observance days” in the calendar. One of these holidays not fully recognized is Día de los Muertos, a special day for much of Latin America.
“Usually it is known to celebrate those who were special to us, whether a family or friend, we celebrate this by making their favorite dish, baking bread, making ofrendas which contains pictures of the person with flowers and candles,” said sophomore Elena Rios Acosta. “It is very significant to Latin American countries as it is a mix of both Spanish and Pre-Hispanic/Indigenous traditions.”
53.4% of AHS’ student body is either Hispanic or Latino. Not getting this day to spend with their families can be seen as unfair to many, though Rios Acosta believes otherwise.
“I honestly think it is more of a choice, whether you decide to come to school or not.”
She shows how this situation is not as straightforward as many people like to believe.
Latin American members of the AHS community are not the only ones who aren’t represented by the calendar. The Muslim community has many holidays throughout the year that aren’t recognized either.
“During the nights of Ramadan, especially the last ten nights, we Muslims do this prayer called taraweeh.” said sophomore Sarah Khan. “This prayer usually takes a while unless we stop near the beginning, but I think most Muslims try to pray the whole prayer and it would end at like 11-12 at night.”
The prayer is important, but due to the nature of it, it can be tiring. Going to school the next day can be difficult when your sleep is affected so drastically. But to Khan, missing a day seems more catastrophic. “Most days, we learn a whole new unit and even if it isn’t a new unit it’s something new unless it’s a review day which is not very often,” said Khan. “You kind of have to catch up by yourself with the notes the teachers give you if you ask.”
However, Khan acknowledges that ten days off for the entire student body is unrealistic.
“Not all students’ schedules should be affected,” said Khan. “I understand that we can’t have all ten days off and that’s okay, just a day or two would be nice.”
Another population that may not be represented are the Jews at AHS. They also deserve representation and the school calendar pushes them to make hard decisions between celebrating or dedicating more time to school.
One thing that was not taken into consideration was the importance of the holidays. The decision was based on an outsider’s view on the Jewish religion and its proximity to the western, more accepted tradition, Christmas.
“Hanukkah has very little religious significance to Judaism. Its appeal comes in its proximity to a major Christian holiday so Jewish kids don’t feel excluded,” said Biology teacher Stefaine Kline.
Jews have more culturally significant holidays that are not taken into account in the school calendar.
“The most significant Jewish holiday that does not currently have an assigned day off is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It is one of two High Holy Days, spread 10 days apart,” said Kline. “The other is Yom Kippur, which we now have a day off for, which is great because it involves fasting for 24 hours!”
Though many adults see students just wanting another day off at school, many want to celebrate in the comfort of their own home with their families. It can be difficult to know how they feel but practicing cultural sensitivity go a long way to making sure everyone has a even playing field.