As we enter another season of holidays, we extend everyone well wishes. Embracing our differences as professionals hinges on mutual understanding. Through welcoming, organizational cultures, we can build stronger teams and enable people to get work done.
Check out two brief explanations of this weekend’s celebration:
Tonight, our Jewish sisters and brothers begin the celebration of Passover. Encyclopedia Britannica explains: “This holiday commemorates the Hebrews’ liberation from slavery in Egypt and the ‘passing over’ of the forces of destruction, or the sparing of the firstborn of the Israelites, when the Lord ‘smote the land of Egypt’ on the eve of the Exodus. The festival thus marks the first and most momentous event in Jewish history…. On these seven (or eight) days, all leaven, whether in bread or other mixture, is prohibited, and only unleavened bread, called matzo, may be eaten. The matzo symbolizes both the Hebrews’ suffering while in bondage and the haste with which they left Egypt in the course of the Exodus. Passover is also sometimes called the Festival of Unleavened Bread.”
A great film, an oldie but a goodie, to explore and learn more about Passover is The Ten Commandments (1956). If you’re looking for the proper greeting for your Jewish colleagues: Chag Sameach (KHAHG sah-MEHY-ahkh) and have a great Passover!
Coincidently, this year’s Passover coincides with the Christian Holy Week. During this week, Christians commemorate the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. The Sunday before Easter, they begin with Palm Sunday to commemorate Jesus entering the City of Jerusalem. Holy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper. Today, Good Friday, celebrates the passion and death of Jesus. Holy Saturday anticipates the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday morning.
Today, on Good Friday, you may see Christian colleagues abstain from meat and maintain a greater silence from 12-3P, depending on their denomination’s practice. The silence stems in a belief that, at this time, Jesus hangs on the cross.
Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ (2004) illustrates the story of Holy Week like never before. A simple greeting for this holiday: Happy Easter!
Where ever you find yourself this weekend celebrating or not, have a great weekend from our team to yours! Look out for some great new posts next week!
Timothy McGuirk leads corporate communication at Marchon Partners. He studies public relations at Boston University’s College of Communication and will graduate in May 2015. Follow him on Twitter @mcguirkt and Intragram @timothymcguirk.
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