In the past few years, PHS has designated new religious holidays as days off (like Eid-al Fitr in 2024) and the US government has introduced new federal holidays in an effort towards inclusion (like Juneteenth). This shift raises a broader question: how can PHS fairly recognize a diverse student body when it’s impossible to grant every single religious holiday a day off?
Historically, American school calendars have been based around a Christian-dominated community. Breaks around Christmas and Easter have been standard for generations, which makes sense because the US is a predominantly Christian country. However, with the US becoming home to an increasing number of religions, the question of when to give students a day off becomes increasingly difficult. As Princeton has become more and more diverse, PHS has addressed this dilemma by adding new holidays to the calendar, like Eid al-Fitr and Lunar New Year. PHS’s core values include student diversity and community advocacy, so it seems only fair that these groups vocalize their desire for the same representation as other groups.
However, simply adding more religious holidays to the list may not be the perfect solution. New Jersey is estimated to be home to dozens of religions, and there are too many important observances across different religions for PHS to close for all of them.
PHS currently closes for the following holidays: Yom Kippur, Eid al-Fitr, Lunar New Year, and typically closes for Rosh Hashanah and Diwali when these don’t fall on a weekend. Though on the Princeton Public Schools Website our break in December is called “Winter Break,” it always falls during Christmas, and our Spring Break typically falls around Easter, emphasizing Christian holidays’ continued importance in our school system and nation as a whole. If we choose some but not others we are faced with the question of who gets represented and who gets left out.
The important thing to recognize is that religious inclusion does not always have to mean a day off. PHS should continue to ensure that students who observe religious holidays while school is in session are still accommodated. PHS should also make sure that students observing a major holiday aren’t expected to take tests, give presentations, or meet major deadlines on the days they return to school. This allows more religions to be respected without having to close school every time.
Though PHS’s approach solves the issue of major calendar holidays, true religious inclusion means recognizing less visible, daily practices. Commitments such as in Ramadan and Lent go beyond just a single day off, interfering with homework and class hours. If academics and faith clash, students and staff may still have to choose. The real solution lies in deepening cultural awareness so students and teachers understand these varied traditions. Though administrative policies may protect grades on well-known holidays, everyday cultural literacy ensures these ongoing practices are met with basic understanding.
PHS’s current model works well, but its impact depends on how well the school community understands these traditions, including the quieter ones. Ultimate equity is realized not just through calendar policies, but through an academic environment that recognizes the backgrounds of its students every day.