Working Cross-Culturally Globally With Our International Holidays Dashboard Tool
February 6, 2024 /3BL/ - As the world grows increasingly interconnected, understanding and appreciating different cultures and traditions has become more crucial than ever. Beyond the diverse cuisines, languages, and landscapes, one aspect that unites people worldwide is the celebration of holidays. From colorful festivals to solemn religious observances, holidays offer a glimpse into the rich tapestry of global customs.
"I think the most interesting part for me was understanding how different calendar types work – especially lunar calendars. It reminds me of learning a new language, where direct word-for-word translation often fails because the process is more complex. Looking at holidays from different calendar bases is similar. For example, the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr is celebrated on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month in the Islamic calendar. This date does not correspond to a specific day in the Gregorian calendar, which is solar-based, leading to a shift in the Gregorian date of Eid al-Fitr each year. This distinction highlights the challenges of making a global calendar that captures the important dates across the world, like languages," Jill Berry, digital solutions team, Antea Group USA.
Here at Inogen Alliance, and in our globalized work environment, acknowledging and respecting holidays can foster stronger relationships, enhance cross-cultural communication, and ultimately help us navigate the intricacies of international collaborations. So, enjoy going through a journey with us to explore holidays around the world and uncover the significance of embracing these cultural treasures to manage our work effectively across borders.
You can view overall trends (guess which month has the most holidays - it's not one that you would think!), search by upcoming weeks or months, or in the final tab search by specific holiday, month, date or country. This enables global teams to be aware of holidays and out-of-office dates to help with scheduling purposes and to foster better international relationships. Wish your colleagues a Happy Lunar New Year in February across many Asian countries, Anzac Day in April in Australia and New Zealand, and Eid al-Adha across numerous countries in June.
