Posted on 12/15/2016 7:49:04 AM PST by b4its2late
When planning December office parties that coincide with the Christmas season, it is a challenge for event organizers to make celebrations "all-inclusive." Many employers may wish to offer a traditional Christmas or holiday party if they know this approach makes sense for their employees and their organization, notes Mark Kessler, Ph.D., professor of multicultural women’s and gender studies at Texas Woman’s University. However, not all faith traditions have holidays in December, and not everyone identifies with a particular faith tradition. With this in mind, professor Kessler offers two approaches for those who want to make all employees feel included during their end of year festivities.
Approach No. 1: Some organizations may choose to avoid potential missteps by planning a party that is unaffiliated with any faith tradition. For a secular celebration at the office, the following approach is recommended:
~Consider naming the party, if it is scheduled for December, without using the word "holiday." “Holiday” connotes religious tradition and may not apply to all employees. For educational institutions, a December gathering may instead be called an “end of semester” party. For a business office, an “end of (fiscal) year” party may be more appropriate. ~Try to assemble and include a diverse group of employees in the planning of the party. This would include, as much as possible, non-Christian employees of Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and other religions, as well as non-believers.
~Avoid religious symbolism, such as Santa Claus, evergreen trees or a red nosed reindeer, which are associated with Christmas traditions, when sending out announcements or decorating for the party. Excellent alternatives are snowflakes, snowmen or winter themes not directly associated with a particular holiday or religion.
~Avoid playing music associated with a faith tradition, such as Christmas carols. Consider a playlist of popular, celebratory party music instead.
~Plan a menu that does not symbolize a particular religious holiday (for example, red and green sugar cookies shaped like Christmas trees). But don’t forget to consider menu items that reflect dietary preferences and requirements of non-majority groups in your organization (e.g., halal or kosher).
Approach No. 2: Make the party a learning experience. Ask a diverse group of employees to plan the party so that attendees may learn about many different traditions and holidays. For example, representatives from within the organization might:
~Describe a holiday tradition that they have either researched or participated in personally;
~Bring dishes and decorations representative of as many traditions and dietary preferences as possible;
~Choose a multicultural playlist that reflects all faith traditions; and
~Discuss what their holidays or perspectives (e.g., atheists and agnostics) mean to them.
Media Contact
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Page last updated 3:30 PM, December 14, 2016
Our company has enough H1B visas that last year they DID try to make Diwali all-inclusive and my non-Hindi boss was pressured to participant in a dramatization of some folklore legend about a sword.
It’s anti-Christian political re-education. The traditions of this nation are under attack. Equal time is to be given to atheists to speak out against Christmas and religion.
You’re right!
I’ll take the other side of the argument. It’s called Freedom of Religion #1. There is no evidence that Jesus was born on Dec. 25 or that anybody anywhere celebrated it while He was walking the earth #2. Jesus and the Disciples never had a Christmas tree, hung stockings with care or waited for Ol’ St. Nick or did anything else on Dec. 25 #3.
Well, so isnt Santa Claus, and Christmas trees.
There are the longest nights of the year. Give us a break to cut loose once in a while. Let us have our harmless fun.
So what?
It is a distraction from the true worship God desires. It is just another ritual and ordinance that is man made that has some of the trappings of Christian worship that would confuse someone that heard the real Gospel for the first time. If Jesus is our example then we should ask “Is this something He did or would do?”.
All that telling people how to PARTY?
Boggles the mind.
.
It doesn’t distract me from the true worship that God desires.
Maybe that’s because as I get older I am living a much more “retired” life. I haven’t watched TV (even via internet) in 20+ years; I don’t listen to the radio due to my hearing disability (and thus have never heard the voices of Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump or Rush Limbaugh); I never go shopping. Thus I am blessedly sheltered from what so irksomely distracts so many people.
I realize my experience is highly atypical.
“I do not find “Festivus” funny at all”
That’s the spirit!
My turn: I can’t do it this year. My back hurts too much.
My dog just complained that it’s so cold he stuck to a tree.
I had a similar thought when I saw red-nosed reindeer.
I did not know that was a religious symbol.
Rudolf was an alcoholic reindeer hence the red boozehound nose. They tried to keep it under wraps but The Enquirer busted that story loose. The paparazzi are still on Santa’s “naughty list’ for that stunt.
Notice how they left out Festivus for the rest of us, though.
:D
If you want to attend, ok. If you don't, ok.
See how tolerant we are?
TWU should be called TLU, if you catch my drift.
Sounds good to me!
As it should be!
But even when I worked at a mega-corp we still had Christmas Parties. Granted that was six years ago. I think people have become so afraid of offending someone, somewhere that they have ground all the fun out of everything.
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