passed over

This year my employer -- a fairly huge, well-known corporation that I decline to name here -- gave out oversized calendars for us carbon blobs to hang in our cubes. Each month highlights a different event or occasion that takes place within that month. It's a nice gesture and the calendar itself features cheerful artwork colored in bright, festive hues. Nice, huh?

So I'm checking out the calendar today in order to brush up on April's featured event: turns out that in Hong Kong they honor the sea goddess Tin Hau every April. According to the calendar:

"Every April, Hong Kong pays tribute to Tin Hau, goddess of the sea. Her birthday is celebrated to bring safety, security, fine weather and full nets during the coming year. There are celebrations at Tin Hau temples in different districts in Hong Kong. Boats are decorated with colorful ribbons praising the goddess for past protection and praying for future luck."

Hey, that's pretty cool. So what else is worthy of commemorating in April, according to my employer's calendar?

Sunday, 4/1: April Fool’s Day, Palm Sunday
Friday, 4/6: Good Friday
Sunday, 4/8: Easter
Sunday, 4/22: Earth Day
Wednesday, 4/25: Administrative Professionals Day

So let's see...we have Tin Hau tributes in Hong Kong, OK. Earth Day -- a little socialist for my tastes, but all right, keep the hippies happy. Administrative Professionals Day...well, that's important, gotta show support for the people who support you, right?

But I can't help but feel that something's missing from the list. Hmmm...what could it be?

Hey, I know: PASSOVER! Only one of the holiest days celebrated by Jews the world over! Think Seder, plagues, matzoh, Charlton Heston -- ring a bell??? It starts TONIGHT, in case anyone was wondering.

Now, I'm the farthest thing from one of those perpetually aggrieved victim types. Many of my people are just looking for perceived slights, insults, and reasons to kvetch -- which dilutes the thankfully few instances of genuine anti-Semitism we may encounter. I point out this omission, which I'm sure was an honest oversight, not to cry anti-Semitism or embarrass my employer but to illustrate how sensitivities seem to have changed.

Seriously, maybe this is a good thing: when corporate America is more paranoid about political and class pressures (freaking Earth Day and Administrative Professionals Day?) than acknowledging holidays of historically persecuted religious minorities, well...I don't know if that's progress but at least they're focusing on something else.

Still, even my Simpsons desk calendar remembered Passover...