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As workplaces become more diverse and global, organizations have the opportunity to engage with holidays and observances in more inclusive and intentional ways. This guide helps leaders and teams recognize a wide range of experiences, acknowledging that special dates can bring both joy and pain. Whether you’re shaping internal culture or engaging external communities, this resource offers practical steps to create respectful, meaningful celebrations throughout the year.
Start With Listening
Avoid guessing which holidays or observances matter to your team. Instead, send out a simple, anonymous, and optional survey to learn what people value and how they want to be supported. You might ask:
- Which holidays, observances, or celebrations are important to you?
- How would you like those days to be recognized or acknowledged?
- Are there specific practices, customs, or needs we should be aware of?
- Is there anything else we can do to make these moments more inclusive?
When appropriate, follow up with individuals who’ve shared insights. This helps you plan support more effectively and builds trust. You could ask:
- Will you be observing this occasion, and how?
- Do you plan to take time off or work from home?
- Will you have added family or community responsibilities?
- Is there anything the team or organization can do to support you?
These conversations show that your commitment to inclusion is not just symbolic, it’s practical and personal.
Share and Educate
When you learn something new about a holiday or tradition, share it. This helps relieve pressure on those often asked to educate others, and helps challenge the idea that only certain holidays are ‘mainstream.’
Use internal newsletters, Slack channels, team meetings, or social platforms to share information about various observances — their history, meaning, and how people may choose to engage. Always leave room for individual choice, and avoid turning learning moments into performative celebrations.
Acknowledge Complex Realities
Not everyone experiences holidays with joy. Some people may feel grief, stress, loneliness, or exclusion during these times. In both internal and external communications, validate a range of experiences. You might:
- Share context around the holiday season and current events.
- Check in with individuals who may be struggling.
- Encourage team members to share their own traditions or opt out of participating without stigma.
Recognizing multiple truths helps create a culture of empathy and authenticity.
Celebrate With Intention
Holidays can feel over-commercialized. People may feel pressure to spend money, perform happiness, or engage in traditions that do not reflect their values. Inclusive celebrations shift the focus from consumerism to connection.
Ideas to Celebrate Thoughtfully:
- Support small and local businesses that reflect your values and communities.
- Purchase sustainable or low-impact gifts.
- Offer experiences instead of items.
- Host gift exchanges using pre-loved items.
- Invite people to donate to a shared cause.
- Organize free or low-cost community gatherings like walks, crafting circles, or story sharing.
Acknowledge Holidays in Smaller Ways:
Your celebrations don’t have to be flashy or expensive to be meaningful. You can acknowledge holidays in smaller ways to show team members you care about what’s happening in their lives.
- Send emails, e-cards, or handwritten cards.
- Announce the holiday during team meetings.
- Check in with team members on holidays to see if they need extra support.
Offer Inclusive Holiday Leave
Many workplaces automatically give time off for Christmas, Easter, or Thanksgiving. But for some people, other days, such as Rosh Hashanah, Diwali, or Pride, hold deeper significance.
Create flexibility so people can take time off for dates that matter to them. Consider a flexible public holiday policy that allows employees to trade default statutory holidays for others of their choosing.
Also, remember that January 1 is not the only New Year. Acknowledge and respect other New Year observances around the world.
Plan Accessible Gatherings
When planning celebrations, take a thoughtful and inclusive approach.
Planning and Participation:
- Form diverse planning committees across roles and identities.
- Create a comprehensive budget plan that expands the dates your organization celebrates beyond dominant holidays. Remember, how your organization uses its budget communicates which dates (and thus which groups of people) it values.
- Avoid placing the emotional or logistical labour of event planning only on women or team members experiencing marginalization.
- Compensate people fairly for planning time and effort.
- Clarify expectations around attendance. Participation should be optional, not pressured.
- Avoid reinforcing harmful stereotypes when decorating.
- Select decor that reflects the holiday’s values over something culturally specific.
Food, Drinks, and Accessibility:
- Provide a range of dietary options and respect personal or religious dietary restrictions.
- Avoid centering alcohol or pressuring participation in food-related activities.
- Be mindful of people managing disordered eating, addiction, or body-based shame.
- Consider fasting schedules when setting event times.
Venue Considerations:
- Ensure accessibility across physical, digital, sensory, and communication needs (e.g., mobility devices, low lighting, clear signage).
- Provide single-stall and accessible restrooms.
- Offer quiet rooms for prayer, sensory needs, or caregiving.
- Choose venues reachable by public transit or with accessible parking.
Include Remote or Hybrid Teams
Celebrations don’t have to happen in person. Virtual gatherings can be joyful and inclusive. Remote options can reduce barriers related to geography, health, caregiving, and mobility.
- Host team-building games or shared creative experiences online.
- Send “event in a box” kits to people’s homes with snacks, craft materials, or celebration items.
- Make virtual participation equally meaningful, not an afterthought.
Important Note
This resource is not meant to be a static guide, but rather a compilation and reflection of our learnings to date. Everything changes - from technologies and innovations to social norms, cultures, languages, and more. We’ll continue to update this resource with your feedback; email us at hello@feminuity.org with suggestions.
About The Author
This resource was written collaboratively by members of the Feminuity team.
Give Credit Where Credit's Due
If you wish to reference this work, please use the following citation: Feminuity. "Holidays, Observances, & Celebrations: A Guide for Inclusive Workplaces"
