2020 December Holidays
Wednesday, December 9, 2020
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By Sarah Calfee, San Diego SHRM Diversity Chair
2020 December Holidays This holiday season, many of us are reflecting on years past, wistfully ruminating on what we could have had this year if not for COVID. Added to that are our socially contentious times, with a tendency toward anger and frustration with those on “the other side”. None of it feels very holiday-y. Perhaps it will help us to shift our mindset to something more positive, to think about one of the benefits of this era. With all the challenges, our society might be forced to move past the concept of being politically correct, or “PC”, toward being genuinely inclusive. Being PC often translates to ignoring differences – a “we’re all the same”, color blind, melting pot mentality. Inclusivity requires acknowledging differences and providing everyone with the opportunity to be their authentic selves. Imagine that future! Each of us feels comfortable to just be whom we are without apology or explanation. In the holiday spirit and to ease us further down this path, here is some information on a few less well-known holiday celebrations that communities celebrate across our grand country. This list is not intended to be all-inclusive. Rather, it is merely a sample of what our neighbors experience. December 8 - Rohatsu a.k.a. Bodhi Day Buddhism Common Greeting: “Happy/Blessed Bodhi Day” Celebrates Buddha’s decision and vow to sit under the Bodhi tree until he reached spiritual enlightenment. http://davidvictorvector.blogspot.com/2012/12/bodhi-day-2012.html December 21 – Winter Solstice Paganism Common Greeting: “Happy Yule/Solstice” While the solstice is typically on December 21, Yule celebrations related to the solstice can begin earlier and last past that date. The winter solstice is celebrated in many different cultures. And even for Pagans, many variations exist as the description of this holiday. Generally speaking, however, it is a celebration of the rebirth of light as we transition from the longest night/shortest day into longer daylight. https://wiccaliving.com/wiccan-calendar-yule-winter-solstice/
December 21-25 - Pancha Ganapati Hinduism Common Greeting: “Happy Pancha Ganapati” A 5-day festival in honor of Lord Ganesha. https://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=1296
December 21 & 26 – Vaddey Sahibzaadey & Chhotey Sahibzaadey Sikh Common Greeting: n/a Celebrates the martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh’s 4 sons. Guru Gobind Singh was the tenth Sikh Guru. https://www.multi-faithcalendar.org/events/shaheedi-vaddey-sahibzaadey/ https://www.multi-faithcalendar.org/events/shaheedi-chhotey-sahibzaadey/
December 26 – Zarathosht-no-Diso Zoroastrian Common Greeting: n/a Day of mourning for the death anniversary of Zarathushtra, the founder of one of the world’s oldest mono-theistic and prophetic religions. http://festivals.iloveindia.com/zarthost-no-deeso/zartosht-no-diso-history.html
December 26 – January 1 – Kwanzaa African American Common Greeting: “Habari gani” 7-day secular celebration of African and African-American culture based on African harvest festivals. https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/kwanzaa.shtml
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