Local Woman has Mixed Reaction about Company Decorations

In a long time coming of events, resident woman, Elena Mamlok is premiering her first person blog.

So, I came into work today and was surprised by the abundance of holiday decorations. My building is just for my company -- not an office building comprised of several companies.

Without decorations, the building is gorgeous. It's about 5 years old, it's won awards for being a green building, it's bright, colorful -- as far as corporate offices go, I think this is the best in which I could be immersed.

Anyway, the first floor which is sort of a large open atrium has a Christmas tree, the large banisters on our huge stairwell leading up the open plan second floor are wrapped in lights and greenery. There's a huge poinsettia at the top of that stairwell. Every floor has its own poinsettia by the coffee station and an ornament-clad wreath by the elevators.

So.

The decorations are all beautiful... I'm just not sold on their complete appropriateness for the workplace (I say as I'm posting this during work). I always have a hard time with "holiday" decorations because they're never inclusive of all holidays. They're not winter decorations. If they were, then we'd have spring decorations, too. And we don't. And we didn't have autumn inspired wreaths... or posters of swimming pools and ice cream cones in the summer (really, what would be a summer time decoration?)

Am I hyper sensitive? Perhaps. But I've always believed companies shouldn't have religious symbols or decorations. Inevitably, someone is excluded. (Would I be happy if there was a menorah? No. Because it would only be added to acknowledge a holiday that's not as significant to Judaism as Christmas is to Christianity.)

I do plan on attending company holiday parties, but I have the choice to attend or not. And I'm actually planning one for my department. I guess, somewhat lucky for us, since we have no budget, there will be no decorations.