Christmas and New Year’s are the perfect times to get to know our colleagues better, and at GTHR,
we made sure everyone could get involved in their own way during our celebrations. It was during
these festivities that we had the chance to meet with all of our employees.

We couldn’t let the occasion pass without incorporating a touch of Chinese culture! During Christmas
time in China, it’s customary to eat… apples. This tradition has its roots in homophones: in Mandarin,
‘Christmas Eve’ is translated to Ping’anye (平安夜), which sounds a lot like the Chinese word for
‘apple’, which is pingguo (苹果). To commemorate this custom, we enjoyed fresh local apples during
our celebrations."

Christmas is not only a time to celebrate, but also a great opportunity to slow down and connect with
our colleagues. With this in mind, we decided to invite our employees to a discussion on intercultural
communication during the festive season. Over 15 people from various departments, who work with
our Chinese colleagues on a daily basis, attended the meeting.

‘I’m delighted that our employees participated in the celebrations with such enthusiasm,’ says
Aleksandra Kołaczek, Chinese-Polish Relations and Translation Department Manager. ‘It’s essential
for us to combine traditions and celebrate important holidays in each culture with respect for
diversity. This is how we foster an open and inclusive work environment.’