How to Organize Company Holidays That Unite, Not Divide?

Not Just Christmas Eve

For many, December is synonymous with Christmas. In the Christian tradition (in most denominations), this holiday is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ and falls on December 25th in Churches using the Gregorian calendar, and January 7th in Churches using the Julian calendar. In the Catholic Church, Christmas is the second most important holiday, after Easter, and is preceded by a three-week period of fasting called Advent. Traditionally, celebrations begin on the evening of December 24th with the Christmas Eve dinner. December 25th is a day usually spent with loved ones celebrating the Nativity of Christ. December 26th commemorates St. Stephen, the first martyr. This is typically a time spent with family and friends.

Depending on the Christian denomination, Christmas is celebrated in different ways. For example, in the Byzantine rite, the holidays are preceded by a six-week penitential fast, and there is no custom of setting up nativity scenes with figures. Instead, a large icon depicting the scene of the birth of Jesus Christ is placed in a prominent spot and decorated.

The main symbols of Christmas that appear in most Christian denominations include: Christmas Eve dinner, the Christmas tree, sharing the wafer, the Star of Bethlehem, carols, and gift-giving•. Some of these symbols: the Christmas tree, Santa Claus, and gifts are now widely accepted and celebrated even by non-Christians, becoming a universal element of mass culture.

* A. Boalło, W. Kania, Z. Papaj, G. Stec, Christmas celebrations in different countries, op. commissioned by Diversity Hub, 2023

What Besides Christmas is Celebrated in Companies in December?

December is rich in traditions with a much broader scope. In addition to Christmas, the following are also celebrated at the end of the year:

Hanukkah (Judaism): An eight-day Festival of Lights that commemorates the miracle of the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. Unlike Christmas, the date of Hanukkah is movable, but it most often falls in December, making it a key part of the holiday season. Celebrations focus on lighting the candles on the menorah
Kwanzaa (African-American, secular): Celebrated from December 26th to January 1st. This is a secular holiday established to celebrate African heritage and values such as unity and faith. It focuses on the seven principles: Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity), and Imani (faith). Each of these principles is dedicated to one of the seven days of the holiday. The symbol of the holiday is the Kinara (a seven-branched candle holder).
Pancha Ganapati (Hinduism): A modern, five-day Hindu festival celebrated from December 21st to 25th. It was created to give Hindu families an opportunity to celebrate together in December, focusing on Pancha Ganapati – the five aspects of Lord Ganesha (the remover of obstacles). The holiday centers on family harmony, reconciliation, and joy, with daily gift-giving.
Bodhi Day (Buddhism): Celebrated on December 8th in the Mahayana tradition, it commemorates the day Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree and became the Buddha (the Awakened One). Buddhists celebrate this day through meditation, reading sutras, and reflecting on their commitment to Buddhist principles. They often symbolically decorate a fig tree.
Dongzhi Festival (Chinese culture / Taoism): This is one of the most important festivals in the Chinese calendar, celebrated on the winter solstice (December 21st-22nd). It symbolizes the turning point—the maximum dominance of Yin (darkness and cold) and the beginning of the return of Yang (light and warmth). The festival is a celebration of family unity, during which sweet rice balls (tangyuan) are traditionally eaten as a sign of prosperity.
Beginning of the Blessed Three Months (Islam): This is not a single holiday, but the start of a spiritually important period in the Islamic calendar. It marks the beginning of the three holy months: Rajab, Sha’ban, and Ramadan. The month of Rajab is a time of spiritual reflection and increased piety, serving as preparation for the culminating fasting period – Ramadan. This is a crucial time for Muslims to strengthen their spiritual discipline.
Winter Solstice (Pagan): Celebrated on the shortest day of the year, December 21st-22nd. Pagan traditions celebrated this moment as a symbol of the sun’s rebirth and the hope for the return of spring. Its universal character, related to the cycle of nature, is accepted today, regardless of religion.

Christmas at work vs. respect for other religions

“They robbed us of our holidays!” I heard during an interview with an employee from the Krakow branch of a global corporation. “I was furious last year when I received a card wishing me ‘Happy Winter Break!’ Really?” Who is offended by us wishing each other Merry Christmas?

When companies face such a rich cultural diversity, the question arises: how to satisfy diverse expectations? How to approach the issue of celebration in an inclusive way? Should holidays be completely “neutralized” so as not to offend anyone?

Imagine a situation where, guided by the argument of respecting the beliefs of all employees, we introduce a policy of complete ideological neutralization: we remove all symbols from the office space and language, introduce a ban on wishes, and remove all references to holidays—pushing them entirely into the private sphere. What will be the consequences? It’s easy to guess that these actions will be completely ineffective, and an atmosphere of coldness and lack of identity will prevail in the office. The consequences of this approach include a drop in morale, as employees will feel that the company is ignoring their deeply rooted traditions—not just religious and cultural ones.

What is the way out of this situation? The answer is to adopt an inclusive, non-exclusionary approach. Inclusivity does not mean avoiding celebration, but balancing it and respecting all traditions. This can be done in two ways: either by adopting a strategy that separates religious aspects from cultural and secular aspects and focuses on celebrating universal values and symbols, or by deciding to celebrate holidays and ceremonies important to the employees of all faiths or cultures represented in the company or team.

Returning to the question asked by the participant in my interview—who is offended by us celebrating Christmas? No one should be offended, because in this case, Christmas is one of the fundamental elements of the culture of Poland as the host country. Exclusion or offense to religious feelings arises when the dominant tradition is imposed, or when other traditions are deliberately ignored. Example: an employee celebrating Hanukkah does not expect the removal of the Christmas tree, but balance—for example, that the company does not require their participation in Christmas Eve, or that their own holiday is minimally acknowledged and respected. Inclusivity is about creating a space where everyone, regardless of background, feels seen and appreciated, without forcing the acceptance of dogmas.

What Instead of Christmas Eve? Inclusive Company Holidays – A Few Tips

Implementing an inclusive holiday policy that considers the needs and expectations of everyone requires conscious action on several levels. Here are a few helpful tips:

Respect and listen to the needs of those who do not necessarily celebrate the holidays. After all, even within the Christian culture, not everyone celebrates Christmas, and there are many people who, for various reasons, do not like the holidays!
Focus on universal values. Company communications should concentrate on the common denominators of this period: kindness, gratitude, giving, light, and hope for the coming New Year.
Multi-symbolism. In addition to the secular accents of the Christmas tree, you can introduce, for example, menorahs (if there are Jewish employees in the team) or secular decorations related to the winter atmosphere (e.g., snowflakes, lights, winter and blue colors). Let’s remember that at work, decorations should be secular; let’s avoid religious symbols (e.g., nativity scenes, figures of Jesus). Instead, refer to cultural and universal symbols.
Wishes sent to partners and clients should be standard and neutral. Instead of religious references, it is better to focus on the successes of the past year and hope for the future. In company communication, it is recommended to replace the unambiguously Christian “Merry Christmas” with more universal phrases: “Happy Holidays!”, “Enjoy the Holiday Season!” However, remember that radical neutralization of language, such as “Happy Holidays,” can cause frustration and resistance.
Flexibility in vacations. Wherever possible, the company should allow employees to take days off for the holidays that are important to them, even if they are not legally non-working days in a given country (e.g., Eid al-Fitr or Yom Kippur).
An inclusive holiday meeting, in addition to a name that does not directly refer to Christmas, should not include unambiguously religious elements in its program, such as singing carols, and the menu should be diverse, adapted to various dietary and religious requirements. A good idea is also to introduce a “Diversity Corner” where employees from different parts of the world or country can share their lesser-known traditions or holiday flavors.

Are you interested in the topic? Or perhaps you are thinking about enriching the upcoming holiday season with a webinar or an interesting educational meeting about holiday customs around the world? Take advantage of our winter proposals:

– Holidays of December – session on cultural differences and different December celebrations

– Celebrations of Christmas in various countries around the world – cultural differences