How to be More Inclusive When Celebrating Holidays as a Business

As the leaves start changing color and the weather gets cooler, it’s almost time for businesses to plan for the holiday season. Before the snow falls and the flurry of decorating, baking, and event planning takes over, it helps to pause and remember that team members, partners, and clients might be celebrating in totally different ways.

There’s Christmas, Hanukah, Diwali, Kwanzaa, and many other holidays happening in wintertime. It’s important to acknowledge or celebrate inclusively both in and out of the workplace.

Newer generations are getting more diverse in America

Businesses should be aware that 50% of American zoomers are white, while 50% are Black, Hispanic, Hawaiian, Asian, Indigenous, or mixed heritage. Plus, over 20% of people living in Canada were born outside of the country and that number is expected to rise to 30% in the next 15 years. The majority of new hires are also looking for employment in workplaces that value diversity.

When others feel seen, business relationships deepen, and employee morale strengthens.

To help our team and yours, we’ve researched ways to be more mindful of being inclusive when celebrating holidays and included some ideas below with links to calendars and other resources.

Here are some business communications tips for being inclusive of different holidays

• Ask your team members what cultural holidays they celebrate – At team lunches and workplace events, keep in mind the faith-related traditions that some team members may follow, such as abstaining from alcohol on certain days of the year.

• Announce of a wide variety of cultural and awareness days – Whether via email or your project management system message board, acknowledging days other than what might be most popular will make everyone feel more included.

• Use non-specific holiday messages for campaigns and card-giving – Instead of words like Christmas, choose wording that is broader and non-denominational such as Winter Wishes or Happy Holidays. Here are a few seed paper favorites: Merry Everything, Gorgeous Greenery, and Geometric Pattern business holiday cards.
  
  
• Avoid holiday or religion-specific aspects at celebrations so everyone can participate – Things like prayers before meals and some decor might be specific to one religion. Choose elements wisely, so everyone feels welcome. Put the focus on celebrating together vs. what you are celebrating.

• Be aware and understanding of the availability of businesses and individuals – Some organizations and individuals might be taking a day off for Hanukkah, Diwali, or other special occasions. Be conscious and accepting of those with different holiday schedules than the majority.

• Help spread awareness on social media – The customers and clients who follow you will appreciate your effort to be inclusive. Try to keep your engagement with cultural and awareness days genuine. Donate to a non-profit, such as LGBTQ+ resource centers for Pride Month. Or do some research and share learning resources from grassroots groups to your stories.

Interfaith and Multicultural Calendar Resources

View the pages below for calendars with many holidays, awareness days, and cultural days that you may refer to and include in your business calendars for communications inside and outside the workplace throughout the year.

• Diversity Resources
• Interfaith Calendar
• Diversity for Social Impact
• Diversity Central

This winter season, showing respect for diverse holiday celebrations will help your business communicate effectively with clients, customers, and partners. A little consideration goes a long way in building lasting connections and community.

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