Not to worry, Mrs Duck. It's a regional thing. Local control is very big over here.
At my school I am the self-proclaimed "Culture Vulture". I see it as my duty to show the kiddies alternatives to the commercial tripe they're fed on tv and radio. So we learn about, talk about, but don't "celebrate" just about every holiday from every culture I can find. Yesterday we sang "Here we come a-wassailing'" tomorrow it's a couple of Chanukah songs, next week we'll touch on Kwaanza. And then I give them little hand-made song-books and let them choose, for a week of singalongs.It spans the range from the Huron Carol & Silent Night to My Dreydl & Maoz Tzur (sp?) to the Twelve Days of Christmas to Rudolph and Frosty and Silver Bells and the Old Year Now Away is Fled... and much more!
My goal is for them to see the main thread of gathering together to celebrate, whatever your background. In our hemisphere at this time of year it's getting really dark for much of the day, and we need to shed a little light in our lives. Music can do that. If they learn nothing else from me, I hope they keep that knowledge.