15 inclusive holiday greetings to use this December

We gathered a year’s worth of holidays in our Diversity and Inclusion Calendar, and here’s a summary of key holidays coming up this month and what you can say to teammates who celebrate them (in ways that are appropriate and not-generic!):

Hanukkah

For Hanukkah, which is celebrated from December 7th to December 15th in 2023:

1. “Hanukkah Sameach,” which means “Happy Hanukkah” in Hebrew
2. “Chag urim sameach,” which means “happy festival of lights”
3. “May your Hanukkah be filled with unexpected blessings,” to highlight the holiday’s celebration of miracles and blessings

Winter Solstice

For Winter Solstice, which is celebrated each year on December 21 in the Northern Hemisphere:

1. “Warm wishes on Winter Solstice — may the spring come soon,” to reference it as the longest night of the year
2. “From cold and dark to warmth and light, happy Winter Solstice”

Christmas

For Christmas, which is celebrated each year on December 25th by most western Christians and on January 7th by Eastern Orthodox Christians:

1. “Merry Christmas!”
2. “Blessings to you and your family this Christmas”

Kwanzaa

For Kwanzaa, which is celebrated each year from December 26 to January 1:

1. “Heri za Kwanzaa!,” which is Swahili for “Happy Kwanzaa!”
2. “Joyous Kwanzaa! Wishing you the most beautiful fruits of the harvest.”

General Holiday Greetings

For any end-of-year holiday:

1. “Wishing you a happy holiday season and a peaceful New Year”
2. “Season’s greetings!”
3. "Happy holidays!"
4. "Warm wishes for the holiday season"
5. "Wishing you a restful start to the new year"
6. "Hoping you have festive holidays!"

Want more tips for using DEIB-informed language in the workplace?

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