Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Religious Practices in Cohousing

[Jeanne Goodman (GoodmanJ]

Ok, C.C., you have now opened up another can-o-worms. <g>

An emotional discussion took place once in our community when it came to
sharing customs. Some felt having a Christmas tree in the commonhouse was
offensive, while others felt is was custom sharing. Some felt it's ok to
have a Christmas tree

Some feel as though celebrating customs that are not your own disrespects
the culture from which they come. For example, if no one in our group
celebrates Kwanzaa as part of their own culture, but some members of the
group would like to include Kwanzaa tributes during the season ... is it
disrespectful? Is it arrogant to borrow from cultures not your own? Does it
tarnish or insult the culture because your motives are different?

I have very mixed feelings on this issue myself. Torn between wanting to
share with other cultures and wanting to respect this discomfort.

Jeanne Goodman
JP Cohousing
Boston, MA

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "C.C. Barron" <ccbarron [at] io.com>

P.S.  We also enjoy sharing our customs with each other at holiday time
-- last year we had a party on the Winter Solstice at which we ate Sun
Bread and sang Jewish songs as well as Christmas carols.  As far as
holidays are concerned, we find the more, the merrier!

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