And as for office productivity going up when the Christmas decorations go out, isn’t that pandering to the bean counters, i.e., providing a fiscal imperative for chopping out holly and the ivy? Isn’t that sort of shallow and disingenous? This sort of thing would reach the height of irony in the retail sector: there we have a business where the difference between red and black depends on the Christmas season…but heaven forbid Wally World should hang a garland.

This comment from you shouts volumes: “And if you want your career to be upwardly mobile, you need to be able to manage diversity.” Two buzz-phrases (”upwardly mobile” and “manage diversity”) and pandering to personal ambition, in less than twenty words.

Come to think of it, maybe retailers should put the Christmas section in the back, sort of like the adult section in a video store? Isn’t putting all that tinsel and trim out in plain sight damaging to diversity? We wouldn’t want to scar anyone for life, would we?

Heavy sarcasm, I know. However, you should also know that if I was your boss, I would give you EVERY Jewish holiday off,with pay, for two reasons:

1.) Fair is fair.

2.) It might stop you from whining.

I do feel compelled to inquire, during August, how do you conduct business in Europe?

Also, I will take down my wreath. Would you mind taking down your Star of David? It sort of impedes on me.

Being that I am color blind I would like you to begin a campaign to have traffic lights be black and white. Not because those are 2 major races; they are easier for me and my fellow color blinderians to see.

All that aside and akin to my seeing your point, I suggest you work 12/25 and take another day off. Tell your boss you are working then and they should give you comp time.
But please, don’t force your believes on others. After all, isn’t that what you are asking others to stop doing to you?

Oh, and I say “Happy Holidays” in order to ensure I include every possible holiday, religion or non-religion. I do not say it to mean “Merry Christmas”. After all, who wants to be merry anyway?

If you made it this far, try to see my point of view. If you cannot step outside yourself…..

Just how stupid is this woman? She advocates diversity in the workplace then immediately criticizes one element of it.

What the hell are trying to achieve with “diversity” anyway?

Surely it is the awareness and participation in each other’s cultures, so why does the Christian culture have to be suppressed?

In the interests of your alleged goal of diversity shouldn’t all the other cultures be exposed to Christmas so they can develop tolerance towards Christians? Or is it just a one way street where the cultures of “minorities” are rammed down the white Christian’s throats?

During my extended period of underemployment, I accepted a position in Retail at Crate & Barrel. When gift wrapping during the holidays for Caucasian females, I’d always ask, “Blue tissue or Green/Red.” However, I’d never state, “Green/Red or Blue.” It was a loaded question, I was pretty certain the customer was of the Jewish faith, as well as ethnically Jewish. But, what I was really demonstrating was an acknowledgement of their faith, good customer service, etc.

As a Christian who is African-American (though I prefer the term “Black”), my race will always precede me in terms of the perceptions of others. These perception(s) will largely determine how our interaction will commence. I have learned during my 43 years, that how the interaction will end, is largely determined by whether I respond in kind (if the interaction isn’t a positive one) or rely upon my faith, to be the bigger person (as I’m unable achieve this on my own strength).

Moral being that this being a country, largely founded on a Judeo-Christian ethos (allegedly), it stands to reason that society is going to celebrate Christian holidays. But in the same way, I’m pretty sure that in Israel, the same holds true for Judaism. I’ll sum it up this way; a former classmate (whom I had not corresponded with in over a decade) is now an expatriate practicing law in Kuwait. He said, Dave, I know you, you’d love it here. I responded I’m a Black Christian; I’m staying right here in the United States, meaning I wouldn’t integrate into their society, as I am a Christian.

I believe that any business, which is closed open on a national holiday, is a disgrace. So, let’s take up the issue of Businesses which choose not to close on the King Holiday. Fortunately, having been employed in government, I received the day off. However, in private industry, I believe an African-American may be viewed somewhat of a “pariah” for even asserting oneself in taking the day off.

This whole issue really raises much larger questions when we all reside within a heterogeneous society. But, Penelope, I do not believe your being forced to “observe” Christmas, I would view it as my employer’s “not open” today.

And for “My name is Matt” atheism, by definition, must be a “faith” as you cannot prove that God does not exist - chew on that for awhile.

1. North America has a sectarian holiday - Thanksgiving - and maybe for that reason Christmas is less of a big deal for non-Christians. In Europe and Australia, Thanksgiving does not exist so Christmas is a bigger deal as a cultural festival (separate from being a commercial one and a Christian one).

2. I’m appalled that you have to take vacation time for Yom Kippur. Workplace law in Australia means every employee is entitled to a paid day off on the significant religious days of their religion. They can be asked to work Christmas instead or, if the office is closed on Christmas Day, then it’s just a bonus day off. But then we get at least twice as many holidays as Americans too (four weeks per year plus public holidays, mandated by law - and in Europe it’s usually 5-6 weeks).