Happy Spring! Have you looked at your holiday messaging and calendar?

Retail businesses in the United States tend to associate the word "holiday" with the fourth-quarter surge in gift-buying. At this point most stores are practiced in using non-demoninational language around what is known, which no explanation needed, as "the holiday shopping season."

Holidays, festivals, and celebrations occur year round, of course, but spring is a season especially significant in many religions. The Diversity Calendar published annually by Cultures Connecting lists more religious observances in February/March/April than in any other quarter of the year.

Americans may associate March with St. Patrick's Day, but it is also the time when Jewish people observe Purim, when Hindus celebrate Holi. It is the time of the Persian and Zoroastrian New Year, Nowruz, and the Islamic month of fasting, Ramadan.

These observances may require practicing staff or customers to be absent or need time off, or be unable to participating in certain activities because of religious restrictions or requirements. Now is the time to check your store calendar and note if any of your events or in-store activities will impact people who observe these faiths. Let your staff know you can make accommodations for them, and be mindful of how your store's schedule may affect your customers.