Emily Mellwood
Welcome to November, HR stars. Temps are dropping, spooky season is making way for more festive moods and employees everywhere juggle finishing out this year’s responsibilities and preparing for next year – plausibly even you!
To make a busy season simpler, check out these hand-selected celebrations, holidays and observances to close out your year strong and send your people into 2027 feeling energized, appreciated and engaged. December's a packed month, so let’s cut the preamble and dive right in! (Still need a little more time with November? It’s not too late!)
Special holidays
December isn't just home to Christmas, and spreading the love and fun to other holidays this month tells your people that you respect and appreciate them for who they are. Festive eCards in your recognition program, themed communications and office decor that diversify the celebrations will help make the season brighter.
11/29 - 12/23 – Advent
5th-12th – Hanukkah
21st – Yule
21st – Winter Solstice
24th – Christmas Eve
25th – Christmas
26th – Kwanzaa
31st – New Year's Eve
Winter wellbeing
It can be hard to focus on taking care of ourselves when it’s cold and the days are short – but that only makes it more important! December is Food Safety Month, a great time for food service organizations to refresh food handling certifications or licenses and re-up specialized trainings amongst staff.
December also highlights:
1st – World AIDS Day
3rd – International Day of Persons with Disabilities
27th – International Day for Epidemic Preparedness
Culinary celebrations
I’ve been sharing treat-based engagement opportunities all year long because they are easy, quick and fun ways to engage with your people and demonstrate a little appreciation. Variety throughout the year allows those with food allergies to participate, as well, reducing the likelihood of exclusions. Even the addition of a graphic, a comment or a joke in an otherwise-unrelated communication can be a suitable observation method for any of these dates!
National Eggnog Month
4th – National Cookie Day
7th – National Cotton Candy Day
9th – National Pastry Day
13th – Gingerbread House Day
17th – National Maple Syrup Day
24th – National Eggnog Day
CSR opportunities
December is a great time to spread a little kindness beyond the office, too. From supporting human rights to celebrating wildlife and the people who make a difference, these dates offer easy ways to give back, spark a conversation or simply share a thoughtful message. Pick what feels right for your team and make a little good part of the season.
1st – National Day of Giving | An excellent opportunity to share a holiday gift with your people
1st – Rosa Parks Day
2nd – Special Education Day
4th – World Wildlife Conservation Day
7th – National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
10th – Human Rights Day
10th – Nobel Prize Day
13th – Worldwide Candle Lighting Day
15th – Bill of Rights Day
20th – International Human Solidarity Day
Professional spotlights
Celebrate the skills and contributions that keep things running – both in your organization and beyond. A quick shout-out, a fun fact or a little appreciation in your team communications can make these professional spotlights an easy way to recognize the people behind the work.
5th – National Bartender Day
8th – National Blue Collar Day
10th – Dewey Decimal System Day
17th – National Device Appreciation Day
Special interests for easy engagement
Bring a spark of fun into your lives with observations for the little things that make us smile, from a cozy sock to a compelling film. You never know what you’ll learn about the folks you work with every day!
National Cat Lover's Month
3rd – National Make a Gift Day
4th – National Sock Day
11th – International Mountain Day
28th – International Cinema Day
Learn more about how Reward Gateway | Edenred can help you supercharge your employee engagement programming and build stronger connections with your people.
