Adventures in Multicultural Living: Is Christmas any less Christian if you put up a Bodhi Day tree? - AnnArbor.com

From IMDiversity.com Asian American Village editor Frances Kai-Hwa Wang:

One of my daughter’s Jewish friends from preschool once said that she liked coming to our house this time of year because we were the only other people who did not have a Christmas tree, either. Her mother described the conflict her child felt at school having to do Christmas-themed art projects such as decorating trees, which, regardless of what you call them, are still Christmas trees. Even a 5-year-old could see this.

It felt good to know that she found comfort in our home, although I had to confess that the real reason we did not have a Christmas tree at that time was that we used to always travel over the holidays. I was raised Catholic. We do celebrate Christmas. However, we did it reflexively.

So then I nearly scared my children to death with the pronouncement, “Now that we’re Buddhist, maybe we shouldn’t celebrate Christmas anymore.” (click on link for more)

Is Christmas any less Christian if you put up a Bodhi Day tree? - AnnArbor.com

Adventures in Multicultural Living: Learning about Christmas and Santa through the claymation classics - AnnArbor.com

from IMDiversity.com Asian American Village Editor Frances Kai-Hwa Wang:

Asian American journalist Lisa Ling once said on The View that as a child she thought Santa liked Caucasian children better than Chinese children because he always left much better and bigger gifts, like stereos, for her Caucasian friends, whereas he only left small gifts, like batteries and toothbrushes, in her stocking.

When I heard that, it was as if I was hearing silver bells. I always got batteries and toothbrushes in my stocking, too. I had grown up thinking that gifts from Santa always had to be small in order to fit inside the stocking.

It was not until I was in my 30’s that I discovered that some people received gifts from Santa that not only spilled out of their stockings, but covered the floor and piled up as high as the Christmas tree. Some people did not even bother hanging up stockings by the chimney with care, as they knew their gifts would be bigger than that. Is that allowed? (click on link for more)

Learning about Christmas and Santa through the claymation classics - AnnArbor.com

also at

Learning about Christmas and Santa through the claymation classics - NAM EthnoBlog

His Holiness The Dalai Lama

On Saturday and Sunday, April 19 and 20, 2008, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama will visit Ann Arbor, Michigan, where over the course of three sequential sessions in two days he will teach on “Engaging Wisdom and Compassion” at the Crisler Arena of the University of Michigan.

The two-day educational program co-sponsored by Jewel Heart, a Tibetan Buddhist Center headquarted in Ann Arbor, The Tibet Fund, and the Garrison Institute will be held in conjunction with a public talk, the Peter M. Wege Lecture on Sustainability, addressing environmental issues and presented on April 20th by the University of Michigan at the Crisler Arena in celebration of Earth Day.

The Dalai Lama is recognized worldwide for his message of compassion and tolerance, his promotion of human rights and inter-religious understanding, his focus on peace through non-violent conflict resolution and his advocacy for the environment. Winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize, the Dalai Lama was the recent recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal.

On Friday, April 18, 7:30 pm, Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan, there will also be a special presentation on "Buddhism and Art" by Gelek Rimpoche, Composer and Musician Phillip Glass, and Actor and Activist Richard Gere.

After His Holiness' visit, Jewel Heart founder and Spiritual Director, Gelek Rimpoche, will embark on a multi-city lecture tour to elaborate on His Holiness' teachings on Engaging Wisdom and Compassion. Rimpoche will elaborate further how we can apply these teachings to our daily lives, providing follow-up for those who attended in April as well as serving as an excellent introduction for those who were not able to attend the Ann Arbor event.