Color is one of the first languages we learn, long before we ever speak. It signals emotion, belonging, warning, celebration, and belief. Across cultures, color carries meaning shaped by history, environment, and shared memory. In many Western cultures, black is associated with mourning and formality, while white represents purity and new beginnings. In parts of East Asia, those meanings are often reversed, with white symbolizing grief and remembrance. Red tells yet another s

Music is one of the few languages shared by every culture on earth. While the sounds, instruments, and rhythms vary, the purpose remains remarkably consistent. Music communicates emotion, identity, and connection. In some cultures, music is inseparable from spirituality. Drums, chants, and strings guide ceremonies, mark sacred time, and honor ancestors. In others, music is a form of storytelling, preserving history when written records were forbidden or erased. Songs carry gr

As we enter a new year, we continue to find ourselves living in a time when conversations about culture, race, and immigration feel heavier than ever. Lines are being drawn. Assumptions are being made. And too often, fear is speaking louder than understanding. Diversity isn’t the cause of division in the United States. Our unwillingness to truly understand one another is. When we take the time to understand diversity, we move past labels and into lived experiences. We begin t

The turning of the year is one of the few moments shared across cultures, yet how it is welcomed varies beautifully from place to place. New Year's traditions reflect history, belief, and hope, offering a glimpse into what different cultures value most as they step forward. In many Western countries, the New Year is marked by countdowns, fireworks, and gatherings with friends and family. The moment the clock strikes midnight is filled with celebration, noise, and resolutions

The meaning of Christmas Christmas is a Christian holiday celebrating the belief in God's birth as a first-century Judean man, Jesus Christ, celebrated each year on Dec. 25. Faithful observers believe the all-powerful, uncreated God became "incarnate" to redeem humanity from a fallen state by dying and rising again at Easter (though sects disagree on specifics). In recent centuries, the religious feast expanded into a major holiday season of gift-giving, celebrated by an est

Hanukkah, explained The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah is an ancient tradition commemorating the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem in 164 BCE. Its central symbol—the candlelit menorah—represents a miracle in which the short supply of oil in the lamp of the newly dedicated temple burned for eight nights instead of just one . The event is timed according to the lunar-based Hebrew calendar, usually falling sometime between late November and late December, and it lasts for eigh

Cultural diversity is the backbone of a thriving and innovative society. It fosters creativity, broadens perspectives, and strengthens...

Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, is the most sacred and solemn day in the Jewish calendar. Occurring on the 10th of Tishrei, Yom...

Microaggressions, subtle and often unintentional verbal or non-verbal expressions of bias, can inadvertently perpetuate stereotypes and...

While December 26th is widely observed as Boxing Day in Commonwealth countries, it doesn't hold the same level of significance in many...

Sunday, December 10, 2023 marked the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Though most people may not...

Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a vibrant and culturally rich holiday celebrated in Mexico and by Mexican communities...

(In honor of the recent annual World Refugee Day - June 20 - and the millions of people displaced around the world.) “Do you wish me a...

There was a day this past week that had me thinking. For many May 5 may not seem very important. But if you change the language from...

We should focus on our similarities and not our differences, because focusing on our differences causes division and not unity. This is a...

How well do you know your employees and other colleagues? It can be hard to understand someone else’s cultural background, especially...

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of attending a Latino Heritage Festival. It was a great way to start Hispanic Heritage Month. Seeing...

With the events of the past few years, society has seen the growth of remote work and domestic relocation for work explode in popularity....

Opportunities to experience cultural microcosms within our larger societal macrocosm are increasing as our neighborhoods and communities...

Ramadan is the holy month of fasting of the Islamic faith. Beginning and ending with the crescent moon, it is considered to be the time...