Appreciating Diversity During the Holidays It's about more
than just a simple "Happy Holidays" greeting card.
by Simma Lieberman
Published on this site: November 23rd, 2005 - See
more articles from this month
Guess who's not celebrating Christmas this year? Millions
of people in the US.
That's right. Tens of millions of Americans don't celebrate
Christmas religiously, either as followers of non-Christian
religions (Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Jews) or as individuals
with no religious affiliation. Because many stores tap into
the cash value of Christmas with their plethora of Santas,
ornaments, and Christmas fanfare at your nearby mall, we can
easily overlook the depth of the diversity present in America
during this season. In reality, many different events, both
spiritual, religious, and tradition based, are being celebrated
in many different ways during these times.
It used to be that being inclusive meant sending out PC "Happy
Holidays" greeting cards and changing Christmas office
parties to "Holiday parties." Today, it's about
more than just changing labels and titles. It's about using
a time to be with friends and family to build understanding
and awareness about others.
Three Ways to Build Your Awareness and Create an Inclusive
Holiday Environment
- Learn about other celebrations. Carve out some
time from online shopping or a Holiday TV show to learn
about another culture's celebrations during this time. Watch
a TV special on other celebrations, do a Google search on
a holiday, or check out books at your local bookstore while
gift shopping. Share your learning with others, and use
it as a chance to expand the conversation at parties and
at the dinner table.
- Make no expectations. Realize that people celebrate
a variety of holidays during this time of year, and some
people choose to celebrate none. Be respectful of these
differences by taking interest in other people's traditions
and making them feel welcome. Don't be afraid to ask people
what holidays they celebrate. Find out what they do during
this time of the year that is special. Let it be an opportunity
to learn about different cultures and religions and the
traditions that accompany them.
- Mark your calendar and your address book. If the
calendar or PDA you use does not list holidays like Kwanzaa,
Hanukah, Ramadan, and Diwali, find out the dates and record
them as reminders. Many programs like Outlook allow users
to add calendar dates for celebrations from different parts
of the world automatically, making this task quick and effortless.
Take a few minutes to mark your address book with the holidays
that people celebrate. When writing holiday cards, recognize
their holiday, and include a little hand-written note acknowledging
their celebration.
A Note for Employers:
Here are a few extra things employers can do to make their
workplaces more inclusive during the holidays:
- Make sure your Holiday party isn't a Christmas party
in disguise. Decorations and food should be general, and
non-specific to any religion.
- Consider having a New Year's Party instead of a Holiday
party. This type of party can get everyone on board with
the company's mission and vision for the New Year.
- Post holiday greetings on your webpage and intranet for
many religious holidays.
- Be respectful of these special dates, and plan events
and meetings around various holidays.
- Display a multi-cultural calendar to help all employees
stay aware of important cultural events for the rest of
the year.
- Be flexible with the needs of different employees.
- Encourage employees to share their celebrations through
stories, decorations, and foods that they can bring to their
workplace.
Simma Lieberman helps organizations create environments
where people can do their best work and be successful. She
specializes in Diversity and Inclusion, Diversity Dialogues,
and Eliminating Fear and Self-doubt. Simma is the co-author
with Kate Berardo and George Simons of the book "Putting
Diversity to Work." She can be reached at http://www.simmalieberman.com
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