How do you avoid the religious/pagan festivals at school and at home?

[~ Noora ~]

i have converted to Islam when i was already an adult but what about teenagers etc, how do you avoid the annual christmas festivals at the school or the other innovated festivals?
can you, or the teachers persecute you etc?
good for you CC, but some children are forced to participate in those festivals here in my country

vk: i never said that!!

[R.W.]

i am a Christian trying to avoid the pagan holidays too! what, i have eyes, i just don't havea Christmas tree

[ladaghini]

I guess if you politely ask to not participate in the events and then asked why, you have an opportunity to do dawah.
Probably in most cases, you should be excused anyway. They can't force you to do something you don't want to do.
I thought church had been separated from state in these countries, so technically they shouldn't even hold Christmas celebrations in school.

[Venusk]

Do you also call Hajj a pagan festival?
Why can't you respect each other?

[Steph]

How do the good Muslims avoid questions like yours ?
Not all Muslims disrespect other religions, why provoke conflict by asking such a question?