Managing Interfaith Relationships During the Holidays

The holidays can be stressful enough without the challenges of interfaith relationships.

As we enter the holiday season, we celebrate some major and minor religious celebrations including Christmas and Hanukkah. While the holidays can be a time of great joy as well as religious and spiritual renewal, it can also be a very difficult and challenging time for many. One area of challenge involves interfaith issues. Which holiday to celebrate and how becomes such a divisive issue for many during this time of year. In many interfaith families (such as my own since I'm Catholic while my wife is Jewish) people so often ask, "So, do you have a Christmas tree?" Typically, depending on who is asking the question, there is a right and a wrong answer.

Somehow many people feel that embracing one religious or spiritual tradition means diminishing another. Furthermore, even within the same religious traditions, how one chooses to celebrate or not to celebrate can be divisive as well.

Doing the right thing in interfaith relationships during holiday season starts with respect and concern for others in my view. Many people have very strong feelings about the holidays and their religious traditions and can be easily offended during this often high expectation and high stress time of the year. Mutual respect goes a long way. Trying to be respectful of different traditions both within and between religious faiths is an important place to start. Second, expressing concern for the welfare of others including all parties can help as well.

The holidays can be stressful even under the very best of circumstances. Adding interfaith challenges to the mix can make them even more stressful. Doing the right thing means respecting others and maintaining concern for their welfare. Isn't that much of what the holidays are about regardless of the religious tradition?