Christmas with religiously and ethnically diverse with community

[mids2019]

So I work in a trust where possibly 20% of staff are Muslim and there are plenty of other religions represented too with some Christians .

This year with the traditional Christmas parties and general Christmas build up there have been conversations about our holiday period being centred around one religion to the detriment of others. There are no bank holidays associated with Eid or Diwali and people for instance.

I think in general people do get in the general communal Christmas spirit but for instance the traditional meal and drinks which is meant to be a celebratory time for staff has maybe maybe feel staff feel excluded with many junior staff members of non Christian faith feeling uncomfortable with going so simply didnt. There were a subgroup of staff that organise a large meal with the alcohol flowing but it really is becoming obvious that there needs to be a more inclusive event of the Christmas do is partly to show gratitude to hard working staff.

Do we need to reflect at Christmas not everyone celebrates it and with the continued Christ in the name it is still a relgous festival and as such people with strong faith in other religions may be a little reluctant to embrace the festoval?

Plus its easier to get a venue in early January and people have more free time. And January is depressing so a good party near the beginning of the month knight be quite fun 😆

Urgh I hate it when companies do this. When I worked in hospitality we did this for obvious reasons. It was never as good as a Christmas party AT Christmas! Venues are dead and there's no atmosphere (if they're open at all), there are no Christmas decorations or Christmas music.

Plus, people are often quite frugal or on a health kick.

There's nothing wrong with having a Christmas party at Christmas. We live in a country where Christmas has huge cultural significance - and that's okay.

I've been in countries when they've been celebrating their traditional festivals and holidays. Sometimes I've joined in, sometimes I've just enjoyed the time off work. I wouldn't have dreamt of asking anyone to celebrate lunar new year differently Or suggest they hold their parties a month later.

@mids2019

I work in a diverse NHS trust/dept . I’ve only read your posts and I would suggest that you organise next years xmas party and as you are concerned and also become the gatekeeper to all your colleagues religious festivals and remind everyone to celebrate and enjoy everyone’s festivities.

I organised this year’s which consisted of

• A fun daytime activity -
• A halal meal everyone enjoyed
• a visit to the xmas markets for dessert
• A visit to a nice brew tap for drinks
• A visit to a Hindu brewery for drinks and snacks

100% attendance from alll staf who dropped in and out of each section dept on religious beliefs and alcohol dietary requirements

Inclusive,fun and Christmasy

feedback was effort to include everyone greatly appreciated and beat xmas do ever! At a time when we’re all in the shit it was a welcome team effort escape.

Happy xmas and good luck for next year x

@mids2019 thank you very much for your concern. As a Muslim who doesn't do christmas, nor do I sit with alcohol, I don't want to be included 😁I'm more than happy for everyone to go out and have a great night, I'd hate to think that I was the cause for the party being alcohol free (as I know everyone wants this!) and to be perfectly honest I don't really want to waste my evenings going out with colleagues. I'm more than happy to cover on christmas day to let people enjoy it with their families, that is my contribution and I feel that colleagues appreciate it.
I love @75578FB approach at including all festivals, although I wouldn't expect it. Very important I think to ask people their thoughts too, you be wasting time/money on people who'd rather not participate but feel they have to to show they are 'integrating'.

Im Muslim. Our work Christmas event this year was held at a pub which meant that I couldnt go. There were no other alternatives. I was a bit disappointed to be honest.

Yes Easter moves, but as it’s based on the actual phases of the moon it can be worked out for years in advance.

The date of Eid is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon by a committee, so the date is only announced a few days before. If there is bad weather or cloud they may not be able to see it.

Im surprised you don’t know this, as you are portraying yourself as Ms Inclusion Right On Expert. Don’t you ever talk to your Muslim colleagues ? I only know they because they told me.

Because the date isn’t known in advance, it would be hard for many companies in the UK to plan a shut down of work and give annual leave for many staff at such short notice. Whereas most companies ( outside retail and hospitality ) tend to reduce work or even close down at Christmas and New year but very few do this at Easter.

Obviously Muslim counties are set up for this because they are Muslim and the state religion is Islam and most people who live there are Muslim. I’m surprised you find this so hard to grasp OP.

If you are Christian working in a Muslim county, you can use your annual leave to take Christmas or Easter off.

If you are a Muslim / Jewish / Jedi working in a Christian country, you can use your annual leave to take your own religious festivals off.

You are trying to make this into some sort of issue so that you can complain about brown people.

Well that's just too bad for them. They can either go or stay home. Very easy solution.

But why should they have to? Its not a work Christmas party without the alcohol. May as well call the whole thing off then.

Well actually, holiday is a contraction of holy and day. Christmas Day is holy day, is it not? I've never understood the fuss over 'Happy Holidays', as Christmas is/are holy days. So saying happy Holy Day/s is the appropriate thing.

As a Christian you should know Holiday/s is a contraction of Holy Day. And therefore, Christmas is a Holiday, a holy day. Holy days are in every country everywhere in the world not just America.

Vacation is going away from home.

holiday is a contraction of holy and day. Christmas Day is holy day, is it not? I've never understood the fuss over 'Happy Holidays', as Christmas is/are holy days. So saying happy Holy Day/s is the appropriate thing.

Who the hell wants speeches? Boring. People want alcohol and food/party.

In England we don't use the word vacation. Cliff Richard sang we're all going on a summer holiday.

Oh please. Food/obesity takes a large chunk of the NHS budget, @HelloMyNameIsElderSmurf , so how about you don't eat at all? Where does it stop?

People can attend these parties and drink tea or soft drink, it doesn't have to be question of if you go you HAVE to drink, or else you can't go at all. Do pregnant women who aren't drinking avoid going to the parties? Just because they're pregnant? People need to get a grip. You can attend a party and choose not to drink, you know. People who would prefer a tea or coke or juice are NOT 'excluded' ffs.

I don't know anyone who doesn't want alcohol at work events. It makes it more tolerable. And I most certainly don't know any young people who don't want alcohol at work events, lol! On the contrary, I don't know any who would bother turning up if there was no alcohol.

Plenty of people don't drink, for a variety of reasons. It's quite possible to have fun without alcohol.

Is Christmas not a Holy Day? (hence the contraction of 'Holiday')?

People need to get a grip. You can attend a party and choose not to drink, you know. People who would prefer a tea or coke or juice are NOT 'excluded' ffs.

Exactly. I'm going to my work drinks today but will be driving - l couldn't make the train work logistically.
I don't feel excluded 🙄

The word 'inclusive' sends a shiver up my spine as from experience it almost always means excluding, not inclusive. Just ask women how much we lose when we are expected to be 'inclusive' of men. Its a buzzword for exclusion and intolerance imo and experience.

That I believe is a you issue.

Inclusive to me means everyone is included, simple.

Holiday is a contraction of holy and day. Christmas Day is holy day, is it not? I've never understood the fuss over 'Happy Holidays', as Christmas is/are holy days. So saying happy Holy Day/s is the appropriate thing.

Yes and I'd be very happy to have an alcohol free night. However, I really don't think it's necessary.
You know exactly what will happen if alcohol is banned from Christmas parties. There'd be an outcry and the usual people would start saying "This is Britain not Afghanistan!", "How dare Muslims change the way we celebrate Christmas. If they don't like it here they can go back to Pakistan" etc.
It would be yet another case of white, British people hand wringing and trying to be inclusive, but ultimately harming Muslims. It would cause further division and resentment.
As many of us have said, Muslims happily come to our Christmas parties which have alcohol. Other Muslims have posted to that they might give it a miss but would hate for alcohol to be banned on their behalf.

That's what it might 'mean', but it does not work that way in practice.

Listen to the non- Christians on this thread. This kind of misguided DEI only causes resentment and division.
Non-Christians are not so fragile and bigoted that we can't enjoy other traditions and clamour for ours to be included.

Oh and while I don't celebrate Xmas as such, I have no problem with people wishing me Merry Xmas. Xmas is now a secular holiday.
Assuming offence is over the top. And if anybody is offended, you wouldn't want them as a friend.

It does indeed work that way in my world, in my professional life, education and personal social life.

A simple example my eldest is 16, one of his peers in school has mobility challenges so we take that onboard planning parties. My youngest has a friend who can struggle with social events but wants to join in so we talk to the parents and work out ways to make that happen. When children come to my home I ask if they have any dietary requirements, this is all inclusion.

They are tiny everyday things. Sometimes people look at the big picture. The reality is the big picture will change with thousands of tiny changes on the ground.

In work we now have a chill room for people to step away from sensory overload. We ask individuals to give their ideas when it suits in a form in a form that suits them. Instead of expecting everyone to do things the same.

Maybe have a look around and I am sure you will see examples near you.