Remembering School Holidays

Many of us were too young (or inattentive) to realize the cultural significance of the Supreme Court decisions in 1962 and 1963 that changed all that we had enjoyed about school holidays. In its Engel v. Vitale and Abington v. Schempp decisions the Supreme Court ruled that public schools may teach about various religious holidays, their origins, Concord Training School Grades 2 and 3, 1953-54histories and general meanings but celebrating or even implying significance to those holidays was forbidden. Celebrating religious holidays through sacred music, Bible readings, prayer or personal testimonies in public schools was suddenly illegal. Although the response at the time was mixed, it was over for holidays as we knew them.

Unfavorable response to the holding ranged from intemperate and abusive denunciation of the Court as Godless to more thoughtful and reflective criticism that was directed to various considerations such as that the Court interpreting the first amendment had failed to give due weight to the place of religion in American tradition and life, had misinterpreted the original meaning and purpose of this amendment, had conferred a constitutional blessing upon secularism as the official American orthodoxy, and had unduly subordinated the majority will and the community consensus to the sentiments and wishes of a small minority. Some, while not disturbed by the result reached with respect to the problem immediately before the Court, saw large and portentous implications in the decision. Did it mean that the Constitution forbade not only religious practices in the public schools but also any consideration of religion in public programs? And did it mean that all acknowledgments of Deity on official occasions was forbidden?

(Source: http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1286822?uid=2&uid=4&sid=21102087195383).

Not only did these decisions immediately impact secondary education, but religious components of holiday observances quickly diminished in higher education.  Prayers at special ceremonies such as convocations, graduations and dedications were eliminated at Concord.  What formerly had been a part of the fabric and celebration of life in the Athens We Know (and throughout the country) was forbidden in public institutions.  The Supreme Court decisions effectively altered the bond between the community of faith within the town and its schools, or at least in the way those traditions could be expressed openly. In this section we remember Thanksgiving before it became the Fall Recess, Christmas before it was replaced by a Winter Holiday, and Easter before it was Spring Break. Here site visitors describe and illustrate with photographs some of their favorite memories of both religious and secular holidays.

Halloween

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Thanksgiving

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Christmas

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St. Valentine's Day

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Easter

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