Inclusive Holiday Decorations

The holiday season is an important time to recognize and embrace diversity and inclusion. It can be easy to get so caught up in the busyness of our own holidays that we forget to recognize the holidays of our friends, families, and neighbors. One way to create a more inclusive holiday season is by bringing that inclusivity to your holiday décor. In this post, we will take a look at a few fabulous ideas for more inclusive holiday decorations.

Start by Getting Feedback

Whether at work or in your household, it always helps to start the decorating process by consulting with others first. If you are sharing a space with other people, be it personal or professional, recognizing that space is just as much theirs as it is yours is an important first step. Ask them what sort of design theme they would like to see for the space. What decorations might they like to include? Is there a specific holiday they celebrate during the holiday season that they would like to decorate for? Working together on decorative projects not only makes the experience more inclusive, but it also becomes more eye-opening and fun! Get everyone on the same page and be sure to ask each individual what important decorations they would like to see displayed throughout the home, office, or other common space.

Be Diverse

Inclusivity means embracing and celebrating diversity. While enjoying and celebrating the holiday season, why not add to the celebration by amplifying diversity? If you live in a shared space with people who each celebrate different holidays, have each person decorate for their holiday. Don’t allow anyone to feel left out. If someone celebrates Hanukkah, surprise them with a Hanukkah gift they can use to decorate. If another person celebrates Kwanzaa, get them a Kwanzaa gift. If someone celebrates Eid or Christmas, get gifts or décor related to their holiday. Decorating for various holidays at the same time also provides a wonderful learning experience; everyone can share their different holidays together and take away value, new information.

Bring That Energy to The Dinner Table

Your dining room table is a great place to show off holiday décor. If you celebrate a particular holiday, you are likely to put up decorations related to that holiday. If you are sharing the holiday season with people who celebrate different holidays, make room for everyone to share their culture and holiday rituals. One idea is to have a different holiday dinner party each night. This provides yet another opportunity to immerse yourself in a new learning experience and share something memorable together. If you are sharing dinner with a Muslim friend or family member, ask them if they would like to host a holiday dinner party. See how they decorate the space and prepare the table with traditional dishes. This applies to anyone celebrating other holidays including Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, or something new you may not have even learned about yet! Even if everyone within your space is celebrating Christmas, people from different areas of the world celebrate Christmas differently. Be open to new ideas that will undoubtedly enrich everyone’s experience!

Use Your Craftiness to Make it a Bonding Experience

When celebrating the holiday season with people of different cultural backgrounds, do your decorating together. Better yet, make your decorations together! Host a gathering or small DIY decorating party so everyone can create their decorations for their holiday and help others create decorations too. Make the space inviting with craft supplies, candles, and snacks. Perhaps at the end of the evening, everyone can go home with a decorative piece for a holiday they wouldn’t normally celebrate; allowing each person to learn more about another’s holiday.

Make Your Holiday Parties More Inclusive

Holiday decorations are often put up not only for the duration of the holiday season, but also for holiday parties. If you are hosting a holiday party such as a Christmas party but will have guests attending who celebrate different holidays, make an effort to be inclusive with your décor. Perhaps, instead of over-the-top Christmas decorations, you opt for a more wintery feel with winter floral arrangements, candles, and lighting. Or, if you are decorating for a Christmas party but know others with different holidays will attend, include holiday décor that also reflects their holiday. Instead of a Christmas party, why not make it a true holiday party with music, décor, and food related to each person’s holiday? As they say, the more the merrier!