It might come as a surprise to some folks, but there is more to December than just Christmas.
There are literally hundreds of holidays during December. (National Sock Day, anyone?) But the main three are Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas here in the States. And not all of them feature a jolly dude in a red suit or reindeer.
Hanukkah is the Jewish eight-day “festival of lights,” celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting which began Nov. 28. Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday that celebrates African heritage and identity, and the holiday is based on traditional African harvest festivals. Kwanzaa is usually celebrated from Dec. 26 to Jan 1.
Let’s talk Hanukkah today and how to handle the holiday in the midst of so much decking of halls and all the fa-la-las. So, as Adam Sandler once sang: “Put on your yarmulke; Here comes Hanukkah!” Click to watch it, here!
Think before you buy that Christmas swag
While it’s great that you want to order and gift T-shirts, Yeti tumblers, or even kitchen utensils (ahem, see fab, Hanukkah-appropriate photo below) just remember that not everyone celebrates – both employees and in your customer base. So, maybe look closely at your recipients and decide if you should really dial back on all the elves.
“I would much prefer that companies refer to it as a holiday gift or celebration as opposed to a Christmas celebration,” said local marketing guru Sharon Durmaskin said. “As we’re evolving as a culture, we now recognize there are many more holidays in December than Christmas. And many people don’t believe in the religious aspects of Christmas either. So focusing solely on Christmas can leave a lot of people left out.”
Durmaskin, a member of the local Jewish community and owner of Durmaskin Communications, said even the simplest of gestures can be appreciated by those who won’t be hanging stockings by the chimney with care.
Eight crazy nights
So, you want to make sure you incorporate Hanukkah into your December celebrations at the office. But, you’re finding that creating and buying Hanukkah swag when you’ve spent your life rocking ugly Christmas sweaters and baking cookies for Santa isn’t that easy. (Oh, and YES, we could still create some swag for you if you call now. Luckily, Hanukkah lasts about a week!) Even the big city retailers don’t always hit the mark, so we do recommend some … restraint.
“On a recent trip to a large retailer, we spotted the following abominations: a festive tray featuring four minuscule bearded dudes, their hats decorated with dreidels, above the phrase ‘Rollin’ With My Gnomies;’ a throw pillow, in the blue-and-white color scheme of the Israeli flag, stitched with the phrase ‘Oy to the World;’ an assortment of elves, sporting Jewish stars and looking like they belonged more in a Brooklyn yeshiva than anywhere near the North Pole; and a set of three kitchen towels with the truly baffling wording, ‘Peace Love & Latkes.'” (It’s a great read: here!)
After she read this paragraph, Durmaskin had only one word. “Oy.” And yes, she realizes that’s perhaps a stereotypical response, but it was also an accurate one.
The Washington Post article adds that nowadays people – and by application of the transitive property, businesses – seem to be attempting a sort of cultural sensitivity and inclusivity, “the kind that leads people to say ‘Happy Holidays.’ But what we Jews want is respect for particularity — yours, and ours. That’s why we’ll gladly wish you a ‘Merry Christmas,’ and even partake in the occasional eggnog,” the authors write. “…we don’t suffer from stocking stuffer envy. We appreciate nothing more than someone taking a moment to learn about our tradition, so if you drop a line about the Maccabees or the miracle of the little tin of oil that lasted eight nights, we promise you a latke.”
Durmaskin agrees.
“Just ask employers to be more aware of the fact that they’ve got someone who isn’t a Christian working for them. For someone who is Jewish or Muslim, instead of gifting a ham, make sure you give them a turkey. Or instead of passing out ornaments for staff, do something different for the entire team and don’t make it just sound like an afterthought.”
In other words, don’t let the whiskey in the eggnog cloud your judgment this time of year.
“Be aware that you have a diverse community working with you,” said Durmaskin.
Does this mean you need to toss out the Christmas tree and all the red and gold glitter?
No. In fact, there is one aspect of Hanukkah that you can probably get all of your team excited about – and we’re not talking candles and Menorahs. We’re talking oil.
“A great thing about Hanukkah is it’s traditional to eat fried food,” said Durmaskin. “We eat anything fried. Anything. You gotta love a holiday that lets you eat fried chicken and jelly donuts,” said Durmaskin.
We have folks to help
If you are looking for ideas to make your holiday more appealing to all of your team or your customers – beyond the fried chicken and donuts buffet that we highly recommend? We have in-house designers and a great sales team to help you make the right choices. https://logodepotweb.com/screen-printing
We promise not to let you order any Hanukkah swag that reads: Rollin’ With My Gnomies.
Pinky swear.