Tag Archive for: cultural holidays

We live and work in a diverse world and yet so many of our social practices revolve around the traditions of the regional majority culture. One such tradition is that of holidays. It is often customary for governments and corporations to set aside as days of rest those holidays reflective of not just the nation’s heritage but also that of the religious faith and cultural background of the majority of its citizens. While sizable in number, those in the minority frequently have their holidays go unrecognized. To customers, peers, and subordinates practicing different customs, the lack of recognition comes across as highly insensitive and disrespectful.[wcm_restrict plans=”75963, 25542, 25653″]

While expedient for a business to simply pursue the majority in the marketplace, this practice is often insensitive to large groups of individuals. Organizations whose leaders and staff are mindfully aware and respectful of the cultural heritage of others create a more inclusive environment both for its workforce and customers; reaping significant benefits from each. This is not to suggest the holidays of all cultures need to be accounted for in the planning and conduct of every meeting or event. Rather, leaders should be consciously aware of the cultural heritage of those they will serve and work with during an event and make appropriate adjustments to accommodate their needs and beliefs. It is in this author’s experience that such adjustments are infrequently required, easy to make, and cost neutral; yet have a profoundly positive impact on the individual participants and enhance their respect and admiration for the leader and the organization.

Additional Resources

While no calendar of cultural, ethic, and religious events is all encompassing, we have found several to be a valuable resource including:

• Interfaith Calendar: calendar of religious holidays for many of the globally practiced faiths
• The University of Kansas Medical Center’s Diversity Calendar: dates for ethnic and religious events from around the world
• The University of Rochester’s Multicultural Calendar: dates and background to many religious and cultural holidays and a method for adding these to your Microsoft Outlook Calendar
• Kindle Calendar and Day Planner for Year 2011 (United States): includes all national holidays, various ethnic and religious celebrated occasions by Errol R. Williams

Final Thought…

Those doing business globally are similarly challenged to recognize and respect the national holidays of their international clients. A list of major holidays and dates by nation can be found in the Wikipedia article, List of holidays by country.[/wcm_restrict][wcm_nonmember plans=”75963, 25542, 25653″]

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