Olga Mukhina (She/Her)’s Post

Myth, and its Importance in your Holiday Greetings. Winter #Holidays are something primordial and universal, observed since the dawn of civilization. The Rabbis relate a story of Adam not understanding the shortening of days during the winter, and that the winter solstice was his moment of understanding the world and its workings. Upon gaining this understanding, he celebrated for eight days. The Talmud uses this story as an explanation for the winter celebrations across cultures: while Jews eventually observed Adam's 8-day holiday at the time of the solstice as Hanukkah, Romans observed it as a celebration of Saturn and Sol, superseded eventually by Christmas. Myths used to explain phenomena, in a world before science and books. But when the Talmud tells a story to explain history and behavior, it accomplishes more than providing a reason; it gives a common root. You don't find myth being called by that name too often anymore. More often, you find people referring to "Narratives". But Narratives don't give us commonality; often, they are used to describe why we think differently than another person, as opposed to how we might share in their thinking and feeling. Maybe we can use more myths. The focus on Content Creation these days often shifts to "#storytelling", and I don't think it coincidental. Our current world of short snippets, brief audio and videos, and 2x play times is hungry for stories with meat and muscle. People need more stories, and we will all be better if those stories bring us closer together. And so, to us all, a happy primordial winter festival (i.e., Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and whatever else you might be celebrating) 🕎 🎅 🎄 (And thanks DALL-E for the #graphic of an accurately Middle Eastern Adam. Small gifts.) #happyholidays #Stories #People #cultures

Holiday Season Dilemma: Christmas Spirit vs African Traditions ,When Strategic Planning Meets Cultural Magic 🎄✨ Merry Christmas from a woman strategically navigating the most beautiful clash of worlds! Today's Status Report: - Location: Between tradition and tinsel - Mood: Festively diplomatic - Strategy: Balancing acts and blessing counts While my corporate brain is processing EOY metrics, my heart is running a different kind of performance evaluation: Q4 Personal Highlights: - Successfully negotiated holiday decoration density with my traditionalist husband - Achieved 50% compromise on Christmas movie watchtime - Exceeded expectations in cultural fusion festivities - Minor setback in hot chocolate consumption targets 😅 The Beautiful Chaos: - Me: Secretly humming "All I Want for Christmas" - Husband: Deep in African spiritual practices - Our Reality: Creating our own magical middle ground 2024 Holiday Integration Strategy: - Morning: Traditional prayers and rituals - Afternoon: Family feasting (universal language!) - Evening: Subtle holiday touches (approved by cultural committee aka hubby) - Night: Covert Christmas movie operations 🤫 Life Lesson: True magic isn't in choosing sides - it's in creating something uniquely yours. Sometimes the best traditions are the ones you build together, even if they don't look like anyone else's. Today's Metrics: - Joy Index: ⬆️ - Cultural Harmony: 💯 - Love Language Alignment: Strong - Holiday Spirit: Unconventional but authentic To everyone managing their own version of holiday balance today: Whether you're reviewing Q4 reports or negotiating Christmas light policies, remember - the best strategies are the ones that make your heart smile. From our beautifully blended celebration to yours - Merry Christmas! 🎄✨ What's your holiday fusion story? 👇 Photo Credit: natashashaneek.com #WhirlwindLife #ChristmasMagic #CulturalFusion #HolidayBalance

Global Perspectives — Celebrated on 25 December, Christmas Day commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ and is observed by billions globally. Traditions include exchanging gifts, attending religious services, and sharing meals with loved ones. In 2023, global spending during the Christmas season reached an estimated $1 trillion, reflecting the holiday's significant economic influence. Beyond its commercial aspects, Christmas cultivates a spirit of generosity, community, and goodwill, transcending cultural and religious boundaries. At Santa Fe, we wish all our clients, customers, and partners who celebrate Christmas a very happy Christmas. For those who don’t, we hope you enjoy this festive time with family and friends in your own way. Further reading: History: https://lnkd.in/gaHjmKW Statista: https://lnkd.in/e9q8ibmM At Santa Fe, we specialise in relocating people across borders and helping them integrate into new countries and communities. We take pride in sharing the unique aspects of the places where we help people work, live, and thrive. Successful relocations require a global mindset and an understanding of local customs and cultures. Let us support your entire relocation journey to ensure success. Global Mobility made easy — Assignment Management, Compensation & Expenses, Corporate Immigration, Corporate Moving, Destination Services for corporate clients, and International Moving for personal customers.

The Wisdom of the Seasons: How the World’s Holidays Reflect Universal Truths The rhythm of holidays is deeply interwoven with the turning of the seasons and reflects an ancient and universal wisdom. Beneath the surface trappings of the world’s holiday traditions lies a profound psychology rooted in themes of mortality, gratitude, connection, and renewal. These celebrations echo across time and cultures, conveying shared human truths that transcend national or religious boundaries. From Halloween’s contemplation of life’s fragility to the communal gratitude of Thanksgiving, the generosity of winter festivals, and the renewal of spring, the cycle of holidays serves as a mirror for life’s cycles and an invitation to honor our shared humanity. https://buff.ly/4fvPc6z

🎄🕎 Holiday calendar fun facts 🕎🎄 Hanukkah and Christmas coinciding is a rare event. Christmas always lands on the same day because it’s based on the Gregorian calendar, a solar-based calendar adopted in 1582. It’s the most widely used calendar in the world. The Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar (more on that below!), so it shifts on the Gregorian calendar. The last time Hanukkah began on December 25 was in 2005. This overlap has happened only five times since 1900: in 1910, 1921, 1959, 2005, and 2024. The next time Hanukkah will start on the same day as Christmas is in 2035 followed by another occurrence in 2054. But wait! Isn’t the Islamic calendar also a lunar calendar? Why don’t Jewish and Muslim holidays line up? While both the Jewish and Islamic calendars are lunar based calendars, they are different lunar calendars. The ✡️Jewish Calendar✡️ is Lunisolar: • Combines lunar months with solar years to stay aligned with the seasons. • Contains 12 months in a normal year and adds a 13th month (Adar Il) in leap years to adjust for the discrepancy between the lunar and solar cycles. • Leap years occur 7 times in a 19-year cycle. • Holiday start times are based on sunset times and three visible stars. The ☪️Islamic calendar☪️ purely Lunar • Does not adjust for the solar year. • Contains 12 lunar months, resulting in a year that is about 11 days shorter than the solar year. • The Islamic year shifts backward through the seasons over a 33 year cycle • Holiday start times are based on how the crescent moon is determined so there is variation by region and tradition. How often do they overlap? Roughly every 33 years. Passover and Ramadan overlapped in 2002, 2022 and next in 2053. Eid-aI-Fitr and Shavuot overlapped in 1950, 1981, 2024 and next in 2055. I find hope and joy in finding commonalities and asking questions about the diverse and shared moments in our cultural and religious practices and highlighting how interconnected our world is. ✨Isn't it amazing how the stars (and moons) align? 🌖 Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas, happy Channukah and a Happy New Year. May 2025 be a year of peace, good health and finding joy in interconnection.

About celebrations and emotions// These days, as many of us are celebrating Christmas and some others have just celebrated or are getting ready to celebrate other important Festivities, I came here to open an oasis. A oasis is a safe place, where water can be found where and when we need it. And this is my safe place to make you feel “watered” if: - Instead of being surrounded by your loved ones you were alone. - If grieve hurts so much that celebration whatever seems absolute nonsense. - If despite the laughters and singing all you wanted would be run away and disappear. - If chaos, conflicts and fighting egos made part of the dinner table - If money was so short that its lack almost suffocates you - If your health is so fragile that you don’t even have the strength to celebrate whatever it is. - If this period feels more like a burden than a holiday. Behind smiles and gifts and nice food and cool decorations we are all dealing with real life. The same love that flow all year. The same pain that flows all year. So, I came here with this crazy picture a elf took, a couple of days, not to wish you happy holidays but to normalise it in case you didn’t have/are not going to have ones. I just wish you can surf this period the better you can, with lack or abundance, but surrounded by the certainty YOU ARE NOT ALONE! ❤️ We are not alone. In our smiles or sadnesses or craziness or celebrations. Celebrating the connected we all have inside, that keep us alive despite everything. In case a cibernetic company (with a real human behind it, not a chat GPT;) is needed, feel free to leave a message. Sending hugs for all of you. Edite A.

My Italian-American grandparents, Dee and Frank, were proud to be both Italian and American. In the spirit of gratitude and acknowledging our lineage - especially all they endured to help us be where we are today - I’m happy to share a bit of their story. To preface: I fully recognize the complicated history and impact Thanksgiving has on Native American people, and I was re-reminded about the privilege inherent in my own story when my recent Italian passport came through. Because the holiday season often involves controversial topics, unmet expectations, and triggering interactions, maybe we can do our best to remember to: -Not take our privileges for granted. -Honor both the past and present. -Learn about cultures, land, and people who have been harmed or marginalized. -Acknowledge the challenges we’ve all faced to varying degrees, which might explain defensive or reactive behaviors. -Practice as much compassion as possible and set healthy boundaries - whether through inner reflection, in an unsent note, or face-to-face. -Move forward with [hopefully] more awareness. One Buddhist concept Dan Harris references in regards to mitigating holiday challenges is non-attachment, which he summarizes by saying that “the result is out of our control.” This is a handy reminder for if and when holiday sparks start to fly, as well as during a long and uncertain immigration process (also, for work and life in general). For those who enjoy nostalgia and inspiring immigrant stories, here is a bit about my strong-willed, good-natured grandparents and their Italian roots. I hope their story can serve as a friendly reminder to remember and respect those who came before us and the sacrifices they made to create opportunities for their families; for the efforts iimmigrants still make to keep their culture alive while integrating themselves into a foreign one. Happy [belated] Thanksgiving, Happy Native American Heritage Day, Happy Holiday Season whatever you do or don’t celebrate - take good care of yourselves and each other! https://lnkd.in/dS537Fuv #gratitude #holidays #relationships #compassion #family #thanksgiving #grateful #mindful #mindfulness #awareness #italy #immigrant #italian

To those who celebrate, Happy Easter! 🐣 As those of us based in the UK get excited for the Bank Holiday long weekend (please be sunny!🤞), it's a timely reminder of the broader significance this period holds across different cultures and traditions. It's not just about the onset of spring or a specific holiday; it's a season that universally symbolizes new beginnings, reflection, and growth. Alongside Easter, Lent, and Ramadan, there are other observances and traditions around this time that embody these themes. The Hindu festival of Navaratri, for instance, celebrates the triumph of good over evil and involves a period of fasting and reflection similar to Lent. In Japan, the cherry blossom season, or Sakura, symbolizes renewal and the fleeting nature of life, inviting people to pause and appreciate the beauty around them.   This convergence of cultural observances underscores a shared human experience - a time for pausing, reflecting, and embracing new beginnings. It's a powerful reminder that, despite our diverse backgrounds and beliefs, we share common aspirations for renewal, growth, and understanding. Wishing everyone a thoughtful and refreshing weekend!  #Easter #Spring #Diversity #DEI #Reflection #Growth #Mindfulness #OrbusLife 

The holiday season is a time of celebration, but not everyone celebrates in the same way. While many are familiar with Christmas and Hanukkah, December is filled with other important holidays that hold deep meaning, such as Kwanzaa, Yule, and Bodhi Day. Each of these holidays has unique traditions and cultural significance, offering us a chance to learn, connect, and honor the rich diversity in our communities. Kwanzaa focuses on unity, self-determination, and cultural pride, while Yule is rooted in pagan traditions and honors the winter solstice, marking the return of longer days and light. Furthermore, Bodhi Day celebrates the enlightenment of Siddhartha Gautama (the founder of Buddhism), inspiring reflection and mindfulness. This season, consider embracing a spirit of inclusivity by learning about holidays other than the ones you already celebrate. Small acts, like asking someone about their traditions or attending a local cultural event, can build understanding and connection. Ultimately, the spirit of this season lies in kindness and compassion. Remember, regardless of how you choose to spend the holidays, the essence of this time of the year is about connection and reflection. Let’s make space for everyone’s traditions, and in doing so, foster a more inclusive world. #MindfulInsights #MindfulnessWithSasha #holiday #holidays #holidayseason #holidaytime #holidayspirit #Kwanzaa #Yule #BodhiDay #Christmas #Hanukkah #wintersolstice #inclusivity #inclusivitymatters #diversity #diversitymatters #diversityandinclusion #embracingdiversity #kindness #connection #reflection #mindfulness #traditions #culture #celebrations #multicultural #community https://wix.to/5rJCN2e

🎉 This holiday season, let’s pause to reflect on the incredible diversity of celebrations happening in December. Whether it’s Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ōmisoka, or other cherished holidays, each holds deep meaning for the people who observe them. Many of us may be unaware of the significance of some of these traditions—not out of disregard, but simply because they’re not part of our own experiences. This is a reminder of the richness within our communities and organizations. Just as these holidays represent different ways of thinking, feeling, and connecting, the same is true for the people around us. 💬 Reflection: How often do we consider the experiences and values that might be meaningful to our colleagues, friends, or neighbors? Taking time to learn about others’ perspectives—whether it’s the story of Hanukkah’s miracle, the principles of Kwanzaa, or the symbolism of Ōmisoka—helps us foster empathy and connection. As we navigate this season, let’s carry this awareness into our daily interactions. By recognizing and valuing these differences, we create a stronger, more inclusive environment for everyone. 🌟 What holiday or tradition have you learned about this year that gave you a new perspective? Share below! #EquityMattersConsulting 🌐 Learn more at: https://lnkd.in/gDXfbmCy