The holidays are here for many of us. At Auvik, we come from different religions and backgrounds, which means we celebrate various traditions. Auvik creates a welcoming atmosphere for our employees to celebrate. Together with our Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, we’ve gathered a few of the holidays our team will be celebrating this season.
Diwali:
This holiday celebrates the triumph of good over evil, the Indian “festival of lights”. Many celebrate around the world with sweet and special foods- celebrating blessings of victory, freedom, and enlightenment. On the night of Diwali, many candles and clay lamps are lite around homes and streets to light up the dark evening.
This holiday was celebrated: on Monday, October 24th.
Hanukkah:
Also known as the Festival of Lights, 8-day Jewish celebration commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second-century BS where Jews rose against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt. Many observe this holiday by lighting the 8-candles of a menorah. This holiday falls on different dates each year, but usually in November/December. In addition, many celebrate by lighting candles, eating oil-based foods, and are observed with dreidels and even sharing gifts!
This holiday will be celebrated: from Sunday, December 18, to Monday, December 26th.
Christmas:
Christmas tree, lights, and family time. This is a widely-celebrated holiday of the Christian Catholic & Protestant church. It’s also become mainstream through North American and European culture and art. On the spiritual side, many celebrate it as the day Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem.
This holiday will be celebrated: Sunday, December 25th.
Kwanzaa:
This non-religious celebration started in 1966 to celebrate the heritage and cultural spirit of the African harvest. It’s spread over seven days, and each day has a principle that encourages you to live your life based on: Unity, Self-determination, Collective Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith.
This holiday will be celebrated: from Monday, December 26th to Sunday, January 1st.
Lunar New Year:
Lunar New Year is a festival that celebrates the start of a new year on the lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar. The festival is a time to honor deities and ancestors. Families gather for a reunion meal, and in preparation, they will deep clean their homes to sweep away bad fortune and make way for good luck.
This holiday will be celebrated: Sunday, January 22, 2023.
Thai Pongal:
Thai Pongal is a Tamil harvest festival celebrated by the Tamil community to honor the Sun & Mother Nature.Tamils around the world celebrate this day by boiling rice with milk and jaggery (unrefined sugar) to make a bowl of traditional sweet rice. The milk is left to boil and overflow, to symbolize abundance.
It is observed at the start of the month of “Thai” according to the Tamil solar calendar which typically falls around January 14.
We celebrate our employees every day and what truly makes us unique. Auvik is ready for the new year ahead of us and hopes you can enjoy some of these holidays (or others) over the next couple of months. Do you celebrate a different holiday? Share in the comments.
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