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As the end of November and beginning of December approach, many of us are preparing for end-of-the-year celebrations. It’s a good time to take inventory of who and what these festivities center and ask how they can be more inclusive. If your campus acknowledges federal holidays, such as Christmas, but doesn’t do much to honor non-dominant traditions and observances, consider how you might approach doing so.
Centering inclusivity when it comes to observances creates more opportunities for people to connect in meaningful ways. Furthermore, it fosters intercultural dialogue and understanding, promotes a sense of belonging, and affords members of the campus community the chance to learn about the faiths, beliefs, and/or practices of others. Though any new initiative requires work, time, and resources, committing to broadening the space and attention granted to cultural and faith-oriented practices supports retention and helps students, faculty, and staff feel seen and like they belong at your institution.
Look Beyond Federal Holidays and Mainstream U.S. Culture
In the U.S., we often think of the major holiday season as occurring between Thanksgiving and Christmas; these holidays are so ubiquitous that it’s often incorrectly assumed they’re universally celebrated and cherished. That assumption can be isolating and othering, especially in an atmosphere where other traditions go completely unacknowledged. Erin-Kate Escobar (they/them), a diversity, equity, inclusion specialist and founder of Erin-Kate Escobar Consulting, suggests expanding the time frame that constitutes the holiday season. “Starting early is one way to honor that many important holidays begin before Thanksgiving and Christmas, including Día de los Muertos and Diwali.” Also, many holidays occur within and after the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, including Bodhi Day, Feast Day of Our Lady Guadalupe, Kwanzaa, Chanukkah, and Winter Solstice. Escobar advises those throwing holiday parties to seriously consider which holidays dominate and how others are represented. They shared their experience attending winter “holiday parties” that proved to essentially be identical to Christmas celebrations. In those situations, “it’s clearly just a name change without inclusive steps taken to ask how we’re celebrating other holidays in this space.”
When telling others what you know or are learning about other holidays, avoid the tendency to summarize in terms that end up centering the dominant holidays. Escobar reminds us that “calling Channukah the Jewish Christmas is not appropriate. It’s better to explain the cultural significance or a few different ways it may be observed with some resources for continued learning from trusted sources.”
The University of Central Oklahoma’s division of people and culture maintains an interfaith and multicultural calendar that includes dates and descriptions of a range of holidays and observances. See if your institution’s librarians are positioned to support your learning efforts. Identify other organizations that are holding the kinds of programs and celebrations you hope to see on campus.
Can your human resources, institutional data, and/or student support teams offer insight into what communities make up your campus or be willing to help you gather such information? Find out what people on your campus want and need, whether through anonymous survey or conversations with people who are in a position to make suggestions. As you make decisions and do research to learn what foods, music, decorations, customs, and other aspects are important, make space for the input and suggestions of those who are more informed.
Utilize the Knowledge on and Surrounding Your Campus
Consider how you might include people who are knowledgeable or excited about the traditions you’re planning to honor. Ask yourself and others who on campus is suited to contribute to this effort. What other campus partners might you loop in? To co-sponsor or cost-share? Are there any potential collaborators, such as nonprofit organizations, small businesses, and city agencies, beyond your campus?
What’s available and feasible at your institution? Consider your campus’s resources, offices, and expertise. On some campuses, dining halls are happy to provide food or guidance on securing food representative of varied cultures and traditions. Elsewhere, offices of diversity and inclusion may be able to tie celebrations to other initiatives or offer feedback on how to proceed in culturally-informed ways. Communications and academic departments might be helpful in brainstorming ways to routinely make information about various customs more accessible to students, faculty, and staff.
Faculty with relevant teaching or research expertise in histories, cultures, and area studies might be willing to chime in or make recommendations. Clubs and groups who may have a shared background could also be a source for guidance and input. But don’t assume that having a certain background or belonging to a particular community means someone observes, wants, or has the capacity to help plan various celebrations. Be intentional about how you solicit community expertise so that you don’t end up tokenizing or demanding extra labor from anyone. Also, don’t assume that only people with certain identities will be interested in attending or planning cultural events. Start by casting a wide net, inviting (but not demanding) contributions and participation from individuals across your institution.
Consulting others could help you avoid pitfalls like planning an upbeat program for a holiday that isn’t festive or hosting a Chinese New Year celebration, only to later learn that a significant portion of your campus community would have preferred for the event to be named a Lunar New Year celebration, better acknowledging that it is observed across a range of cultures and countries. Ramadan is an example of an observance that can be commemorated in different ways in different communities; working with others may help you honor Ramadan in a way that reflects the diversity of the Muslim world, rather than only incorporating how it is practiced within one particular culture or group.
Think Beyond Winter and Festivities
If you commit to raising awareness all year long and connecting new celebrations to other campus happenings, you’ll be better suited to gain trust, buy-in, and the chance to create spaces people value. Keeping the conversations going beyond the celebratory times signals to your campus that this is something that matters more than once a year.
Be careful not to make assumptions about what the holidays mean to different people. Escobar cautions that “holidays are a sensitive time for many. They don’t always mean joy and merriment. Consider ways to bring joy into the darker days that don’t include any of the well-known traditions and certainly try to avoid forced joy and merriment. Get creative and invite people to make the holiday season what they need and offer resources for those who may struggle with this time of year.” You can start doing that by being considerate with the language you use and questions you ask, remembering that people have different relationships to the concepts of home and family.
Continue to reflect on what religious diversity looks like more broadly on your campus and to consider what spaces people who don’t observe anything will feel welcome in. There’s a lot of room for creativity and for students, faculty, and staff to engage in meaningful ways, and it helps to be flexible in your approach as you learn what works at your institution. Do your homework, ask questions, welcome input, and be patient as you plan to create spaces for people to come together in ways that meet the moment, honor diversity, and address the needs of your community.
