re: #3 Bob Levin

Muslims need a holiday around this time of year, gift giving—and it’s got to be in November/December. Watch the Islam fear melt away as the weather freezes.

I doubt that making up a new Islamic holiday will ever happen because, well, it wouldn’t be Islamic. When our holidays—there are only two, and Ramadan is the only one where gifts are given—fall on or around Christmas, many Muslims enjoy celebrating at the same time as others, but that’s about as far as it goes.

Besides, many of us (converts) have family that celebrate Christian & Jewish holidays, so we still participate in terms of being with them during those times. The other holidays like Thanksgiving or New Year’s are secular, so they’re not an issue.

FWIW, I have designer friends that I exchange cards & small handmade gifts with every year around Christmas time, but we stick to wishes for “happy holidays” or “seasons greetings”, the imagery isn’t religious, and it just gets done sometime in December-January. We all enjoy it immensely. It’s the thought, the effort at making something to share, that counts.