An Employer’s Guide to Multi-Cultural Celebrations

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12/03/2025

An Employer’s Guide to Multi-Cultural Celebrations

Source: Fisher Phillips, November 21, 2025

Creating the perfect holiday dish takes thoughtful preparation, and so does building an inclusive workplace during the winter season. While employees should feel included year-round, the holidays offer a unique opportunity to blend different cultural, religious, and secular traditions into a respectful and welcoming environment. Whether your employees are celebrating Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, another cultural observance, or none at all, you can take steps to acknowledge holiday celebrations while being respectful of employees from all backgrounds. Here’s a practical guide to help you understand and support your employees as they participate in a variety of traditions taking place in December and throughout the year.

Major Winter Celebrations and Observances

Many employees are focused on the holidays at the end of the year – and there are quite a few observances around the world that take place in the winter months. Here’s a list of the most common upcoming holidays that your employees are likely to celebrate along with the date they will be celebrated in 2025 or early January 2026.

Saint Nicholas Day (Dec. 6 or 19): Celebrated in various European cultures as the feast day honoring the saint who was the inspiration for Santa Claus.
Bodhi Day (Dec. 8): Buddhist holiday marking the day that Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment, is generally celebrated on December 8 each year.
Hanukkah (Dec. 14 – 22): Jewish Festival of Lights commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple.
Las Posadas (Dec. 16 – 24): Latin American novenario celebrating the Christmas story.
Yule/Winter Solstice (Dec. 21): Yule was originally celebrated by the Norse and Scandinavian peoples. Winter Solstice is a Pagan celebration on the longest night of the year.
Christmas (Dec. 25): Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.
Kwanzaa (Dec. 26 – Jan. 1): Celebration of African American culture ending in a communal feast called Karamu, typically on the sixth day.
Boxing Day (Dec. 26): Originally celebrated in Great Britain on the second day of Christmastide as a holiday to give gifts to the poor.
Ōmisoka (Dec. 31): A traditional Japanese celebration on the last day of the year.
Three Kings' Day or the Feast of the Epiphany (Jan. 6): Marks the end of the Christmas season in Spain and Latin America.

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