Table of Diversity Weekly: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and More!

My daughter's teacher recently sent a worksheet home that says the following, "Winter is approaching and we will soon be discussing holidays and celebrations. To honor the unique traditions represented in our classroom, we would love to know more about how your families celebrate during this season.

1. My family celebrates: _______________

2. Ways we decorate: ______________

3. Favorite holiday book: ______________

4. A fun thing we do: _______________

5. Favorite holiday treat: _______________

OMG!! My DEI heart lit up after seeing this worksheet! There are numerous reasons why I love this:

• My family's traditions and values are being instilled even when my daughter is at daycare.

• My daughter can see, learn, and experience other cultures early.

• My daughter will bring those experiences home so the rest of us can learn too!

I know how hard it can be to make space for and recognize different holidays and observances. There are over 100 different holidays and observances between Thanksgiving and the end of the year. Out of the 100, how many does your organization observe- through decorations, parties, or communication?

I was consulting with an international organization that was struggling with making sure that their students and staff had space to celebrate. They had 50 nationalities represented in their students and staff, so there was a lot of consider.

As we were discussing possible solutions, a teacher suggested that we find a common theme amongst the holidays and celebrations. For example, Christmas is the day Jesus was born. The Star of Bethlehem guided the Wise Men to Jesus. Also, lights adorn trees, homes, and more in celebration of Christmas. The menorah, which we often see as Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah, is another source of light. Candles are lit each night of Hanukkah to remember the victory of Greece where there was just enough oil to burn in the Temple for one night. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days! Kwanzaa also has a tradition of lighting candles! The candleholder, Kinara, holds seven candles, Mishumaa Saba, that represents each of the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

There are so many examples of lights holding signficance in various observances and holidays!

There are few things to keep in mind as we enter this season:

1. Know your people! If you are waiting until now to figure out how people celebrate this season, you're behind! Have conversations, send a survey, do something so you know how to be inclusive of your staff!

2. Be mindful! Decorations send a message. Be mindful that the decorations are inclusive and represent different staff beliefs. If you only have a Christmas tree, the message is that Christmas is the only observance that the organization recognizes.

3. Flexibility. Most organizations follow Christian holidays when determining when to close. Keep in mind that there are other important days so be flexible in your scheduling so everyone can celebrate/recognize in a way that aligns with their beliefs.

4. Raise awareness. This is a great time to incorporate some education on other holidays and observances. If you have staff who celebrate Kwanzaa, share information with staff on what Kwanzaa is about and how it is celebrated. You can even include typical greetings that people would welcome who celebrate that observance. For example, Habari Gani is a Swahili greeting that is traditionally used during Kwanzaa. It means 'what's the (good) news'. People usually respond by talking about one of the seven principles.

5. Include people in the process. You are not expected to be the expert in every holiday or observance. Ask different people and groups, who are open to it, to collaborate and provide feedback so your organization's recognition of various holidays improves year over year.

How do you balance it all? How do you make space for people to celebrate and observe.