Having a diverse team has many benefits. We all know that a combination of different strengths make for good teamwork. But varying cultural backgrounds also provide an opportunity for learning and connection within the workplace. If you’re looking for thoughtful ways to celebrate the cultural diversity of your team, observing cultural holidays is the perfect starting point!
Read below as we explore the importance of cultural diversity in business and how to celebrate the cultural traditions of your team members with creative gestures. Plus, send gifts to your team across the globe with the help of our corporate gifting experts!
The Importance of Celebrating Cultural Holidays Inclusively
Cultural holidays often represent beliefs and traditions that are personal and meaningful to those who celebrate. The warm and joyous feeling most of us get around the holiday season? Well, there are lesser-known holidays that are equally important to your team members who come from different cultural backgrounds. And making an effort to celebrate these holidays in the workplace forsters a sense of belonging as well as mutual respect.
Not sure where to start? Well, that’s okay! Before you go ahead and plan a cultural holiday celebration, it’s always best to do your research. Here are a few ways to start small when creating a more culturally inclusive work environment:
1. Assess Your Company Culture
Before jumping on an inclusive cultural holidays initiative, it’s vital that you assess your overall workplace culture. If the framework already encourages inclusivity, moving on to cultural celebrations will be a lot smoother! An inclusive workplace culture encourages everyone to be themselves and creates a safe space for unique differences.
2. Create a Planning Committee
Involving multiple people in your cultural inclusivity initiative can make it more successful. This can be a great start to researching holidays that go beyond the traditional. But it’s important to allow team members to volunteer and be willing to share their traditions with others.
3. Focus on Holidays Important to Your Team
If you’re aiming for a more inclusive holiday approach, begin by focusing on the celebrations that matter most to your team. Taking time to understand employees beyond their professional roles gives insight into their traditions and values. A simple way to start is by gathering feedback—such as through a survey—on how they’d like holidays to be recognized in the workplace.
4. Prioritize Cultural Holidays Equally
If you truly want to foster inclusivity in the workplace, it’s vital that all cultural holidays that represent your team are prioritized. Setting up decorations and exchanging gifts for Christmas but only sending out a celebratory email for Hannukah, for example, may imply that certain holidays are more important than others.
How to Celebrate Cultural Holidays in the Workplace
Now that you have an idea of how to structure your plan for cultural inclusivity, let’s explore how to celebrate different cultural holidays! From virtual get-togethers to gift-giving (our favorite), here are a few tips for making cultural celebrations a success:
Host a Cultural Night or Educational Session
Invite employees to share stories, traditions, or presentations about the holidays they celebrate. This could be a short lunchtime talk during work hours or a dedicated event. These sessions encourage learning and appreciation across your team.
Celebrate With Food
Food is one of the easiest and most joyful ways to honor culture. Organize a shared meal, a potluck, or order from local restaurants that specialize in authentic dishes connected to the holiday being celebrated. You can also order traditional gourmet gift hampers for the entire office from our website!
Decorate The Office Space
Encourage employees to decorate common spaces with cultural symbols or themes that reflect the holiday. This not only adds vibrancy to the workplace but also helps everyone experience a sense of shared celebration. Shop our thoughtful cultural gift items and decorations for special holidays like Diwali, Lunar New Year, and many more!
Offer Flexible Floating Holidays
Not all employees celebrate the same holidays, so offering floating holidays or flexible scheduling gives individuals the freedom to observe the days most meaningful to them. This small gesture shows respect for diverse traditions.
Make Gift-Giving Part of the Celebration
Finally, thoughtful gift-giving can be a powerful way to mark cultural holidays. By choosing gifts that are sensitive to cultural practices—whether it’s food, wellness items, or festive hampers—you show your team members like that their celebrations matter.
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Celebrating Cultural Diversity With Meaning
Make inclusivity part of your workplace culture, not just during the holiday season but year-round. When you choose to celebrate diversity intentionally, you create a workplace where everyone feels seen, respected, and connected—no matter where in the world they call home.
At Ace of Hearts Gift Baskets, we believe that thoughtful gifting is one of the simplest yet most powerful ways to show appreciation. That’s why our corporate gifting experts make it easy to share the joy of cultural celebrations with teams and clients worldwide! Contact our team and we’ll help you with your gift-giving goals immediately.
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Alex is a hopeless romantic who was supposed to be born in Italy (her dream destination), but proud to be South African nonetheless. She lives by her heart, and, consequentially, leaves a little bit of herself in everything she writes. She wholeheartedly believes that mermaids (and fairies) exist and is deathly afraid of the age ’30’.