Hindus in America celebrate Christmas

RELIGIONS NEWS AGENCY (REDNA) – Although the population of Hindus has decreased than it has been in the past fifty years, those Hindus leave in the US attend the Christmas celebrations.

“Religion News” reported Hindu Americans come from many different backgrounds and have numerous approaches to the holiday.

Fewer than 65% of Americans counting themselves Christian. Still, more than 90% of the country observes the day in some combination of attending midnight Mass, putting up a tree, exchanging gifts and getting together with family.

For many in the minority who don’t, some alternative has been promoted or even invented to provide a parallel holiday: Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or, for those jaded by the commercialization of Jesus’ birth, Festivus, the secular celebration “Seinfeld” emphatically declared is for “the rest of us!”

Hindus, however, have no traditional counterpart to Christmas. Our religion has its own festival of light, Diwali, which celebrates the triumph of good over evil, but it falls no later than November.

At the same time, Hinduism is so diverse, pluralistic and tolerant in our beliefs and practices, we can make room for pretty much any outlook — which means Hindus’re open to different ways of coexisting with Christmas.

Some perspectives show why some 73% of Hindus end up observing Christmas in some way in America. But even those who don’t celebrate Christmas at all often take the holiday to focus on spiritual growth.

Hindus believe values of harmony with the world and neighbors, give them a further hint why Hindus in America are so open to experiencing Christmas with their friends and extended families.

Whether a person celebrates the holiday, or chooses not to, Hindus are able to embrace any holiday centered around love, family and unfettered open-mindedness.

Hinduism, unlike many religions does not demand that one who adopts it as an adult abandon or denounce every aspect of their former religion.