Holidays (holydays)

So this, being my first year as a Muslim, am not going to be able to do everything  perfectly (who can ever achieve perfection, it's time for your ascension...), but after much debating about it, I gave in and put up the Tree this year... "Shirk!" I hear some cry! Well, really? Is it really?!

This smacks of the language police  in Quebec, who are most famous for the debacle of fining a chinese restaurant for having chinese only signs (you know the ones, hand written on 81/2x11 sheets of paper and taped to the window?) Well, very often those signs are not offered in English, let alone French and the law states that all signs in Quebec must be at least twice the size in French than in foreign languages. Even in a Chinese Restaurant...

While researching the matter, I came to the conclusion that it couldn't possibly be Shirk: for the following reasons:

1) Shirk (idolatry) is making partners with God, so unless I actually connect the tree with some sort of Pagen god of trees, or celebrate it with the purpose of stating that I believe Jesus was separate from God in some way: [I am going to have to do a piece on the trinity one of these days - but perhaps I'll go talk to a scholar who is better versed in theology of Christianity than I to describe better the concept of the trinity as actually being one God: like the 99 attributes of Allah doesn't mean that Allah is split into 99 parts, just those are ways trying to understand Allah: so it is, from my meagre understanding, with the Holy Trinity (all God, no filler)] there is no way in heck this could be considered idolatry.

2) The tree doesn't originate from Christianity. It was adopted from an early tradition of hanging boughs of evergreens over one's door and having a decorated tree in the Winter Solstice (21st of Dec.) to be a sign of life when all the rest of the earth was dead (nee: sleeping). In ancient times, people thought it kept the spirits of the dead at bay.

3) The tree is simply a matter of aesthetics now. It's culture & It's lasting as a family tradition. In future, inshallah, should I be married, then I will have more support on how to celebrate the Eid festivals. And if not, then I shall have to learn these things on my own, albiet it will be more difficult...

My daughter can enjoy the best of both worlds: that of an agnostic Christmas and the proper Islamic holidays with me. She will grow up with the best of both worlds. In any case, the tree is for decoration, for the change of seasons, for putting presents under which we exchange with love and affection: even though our presents these days tend to be more focused on spending time with each other: taking a family holiday etc.

And here's the thing about traditions and religions (Which are not mutually inclusive, though some seem to mix them all up): I know that if we visit 'back home', we will be invited to Hanukkah with the family who I grew up down the street from. Nothing wrong with that either: It's the same God, and remembering the history of one of God's miracles. What could be possibly wrong with that?

For some reason, there are people who assume that just because one 'holy-day' is celebrated in one religion, that they would be going against their own faith should they celebrate it, or even to say 'Merry Christmas' to someone they know is a Christian. If someone I know who knows I'm now Muslim greets me with 'Eid Mubarak', then that is, to me a sign that they know my beliefs and respect them and only wish me the best. Wishing each other good on holy-days is only a way of celebrating our mutual brother-and sister-hood. It promotes unity and understanding. Why do so many people have a problem with that? That just smacks to me of 'I know better than you, and if you don't do as I say, then you're going to hell!'. Well, it's my understanding that were supposed to end our arguments, as Muslims with 'and only Allah knows best'...

If you are really concerned about committing Shirk, you can always wish people a 'Happy Holiday', which is nondescript enough to be applicable to anyone and for anyone.

I, for one, will not worry about these little things. And I won't follow the 'advice' from someone who doesn't really know about the religion they are criticizing in the first place.