Are you ready for the holidays? If you have global and multicultural clients and friends, here's a comprehensive list to help you stay organized and celebrate inclusively.
Eid al-Fitr, or the Festival of Breaking the Fast, marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. The exact date varies based on the lunar calendar and the sighting of the new moon. During this celebration, Muslims give money to the poor, children receive gifts, and everyone dons new clothing. According to Pew Research Center, there are approximately 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide, making this a significant global event.
Celebrated primarily in Northern Europe, Saint Nicholas Day honors Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop known for his generosity. Good children receive candies, cookies, apples, and nuts, while naughty children might find switches or lumps of coal in their shoes. This tradition is especially popular in countries like the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium.
Bodhi Day, also known as Rohatsu, commemorates the day in 596 BC when Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. Buddhists around the world celebrate this day with meditation, chanting, and studying the Dharma. According to Statista, there are about 506 million Buddhists globally.
One of the most important dates on the Mexican calendar, this day is dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico. The celebration includes processions, masses, and traditional dances. According to the Catholic News Agency, millions of pilgrims visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City each year.
In Sweden, St. Lucia Day is celebrated by awakening a young girl who dresses in a white robe with a red ribbon around her waist and a crown of candles on her head. She brings breakfast, including saffron-flavored sweet buns, to her family. Boys, known as "star boys," wear long white shirts and pointed hats and help carry the sweets. The greeting for this day is "God Jul!"
Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday celebrating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. It commemorates the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days. According to Jewish Virtual Library, there are approximately 14.7 million Jews worldwide.
Long before Christmas, people celebrated the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. Traditions include burning a Yule log, dancing, singing, hanging mistletoe, and decorating with evergreens. In Iran, this celebration is called Shabe-Yalda, while the Chinese call it Dongzhi. The solstice has been celebrated for thousands of years across various cultures.
Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration focusing on seven principles: unity (umoja), self-determination (kujichagulia), collective work and responsibility (ujima), cooperative economics (ujamaa), purpose (nia), creativity (kuumba), and faith (imani). The term "Kwanzaa" is derived from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza," meaning "first fruits of the harvest." According to History.com, Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga.
Originally, Boxing Day was a day off for servants who had to work on Christmas. They received gifts and bonuses from their employers, and churches opened their alms boxes for the poor. Today, it is a public holiday in many countries, often associated with shopping and sporting events. According to BBC, Boxing Day sales are a significant event in the UK retail calendar.
Omisoka is the Japanese New Year's Eve celebration. Families gather to clean their homes (susu harai), put things in order, and decorate. In the evening, they eat toshikoshi soba (buckwheat noodles) and visit temples to make wishes known to Buddhist or Shinto deities. At midnight, Buddhist temples ring their bells (bonshō) 108 times to signify the new year. According to Japan Guide, this tradition symbolizes the 108 earthly desires that cause human suffering.
By understanding and acknowledging these diverse holidays, you can foster a more inclusive and respectful environment for your global and multicultural network.
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