Business 101: Festive Decorations for the Holidays
Posted on December 1st, 2009
Many people say that Christmas has become so commercialized that it has lost much of its religious meaning. This can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, Christmas may not carry the same level of religious significance for Christians as it may have had in the past, but it also means that non-Christians can join in on the festive spirit without having to convert to another religion.
How does this translate into how you should be running your business for this month? Different people will have different opinions when it comes to political correctness, so while you may feel that it is perfectly acceptable to wish everyone a merry Christmas, others feel that it is more appropriate to wish season greetings or happy holidays to the people who come in and out of your storefront.
Going further, unless your business is clearly catering to another religious group, it may be perfectly acceptable to make use of some festive decorations. If you are running a secular company, like an electronics store, most people will not be offended if you put up some Christmas garland in and around your shop. They may welcome the image of Santa Claus without concern. However, unless you are a distinctly Christian business, it may be best to avoid images of the baby Jesus or other religious symbols.
The “holiday spirit” does not have to be restricted to the Christian religion. There are other holidays that take place around this time of year too, like Kwanzaa and Hanukkah, but it may be best to stick with generic “holiday” themes for the most part. This way, your public image can be more inclusive of all possible customer groups.
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3 Comments
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I concur that sticking with generic themes is much better, unless your target audience is specifically people of the christian faith. Many people take offense to what they perceive as christianity being forced down their throats, so from a business perspectiuve it makes most sense to do what pleases most everybody.
It’s Christmas so why not just call it what is it. That’s just my two cents, but I do like the idea of having some holiday themes that could really appeal to some of your clients.
Nice post
I personally think if it’s Christmas and that’s what everyone calls it than what’s the problem with having Christmas themes. Though I understand and can appreciate your thoughts on this matter. I am still going to celebrate and call it Christmas.