Ringing in the New Year Around the World

December 29, 2012 No Comments
Though some cultures celebrate the New Year in late winter or early spring, most nations celebrate January 1st as the first day of the New Year. You can thank Emperor Julius Caesar, since January was named after the two faced Roman God Janus, and Caesar felt this symbolized transition from one year to the next. William the Conqueror also wanted January 1st to mark the New Year, as it coincided with his coronation, but it wasn’t until 1582 that Pope Gregory established the modern Gregorian calendar, and January 1st took firm root as the mark of the New Year.

Which brings us to the question of how to celebrate! Sure, you could freeze your tail off with thousand of other revelers in New York’s Times Square, or curl up at home in your pajamas and observe the traditional ball drop on TV.  But if you want to shake up your holiday traditions, here are a few ideas from around the world!

Those fun-loving Scots call New Years Eve Hogomanay, or Night of the Candle. They clean their homes (not fun!), eat traditional foods such as Haggis (questionable fun?) and drink whiskey and wine (now that’s better!) and hope that the “First Footer” to come through their doorway after midnight is a handsome dark haired man bearing gifts to symbolize a coming pleasant year ( who can argue with that?) Often a straw figure known as the “Auld Wife” or a barrel of tar is set on fire to symbolize the end of the old year. And of course people gather to sing the traditional New Year song Auld Lang Syne, which as you may have guessed, originated in Scotland.

Don’t feel like wearing your woolies? Head to Brazil! Pack your bathing suit, because January is summertime in Brazil, and Vespera de Ano Novo is often celebrated at the beach, where people gather to offer flowers and gifts to Iemanja, the Goddess of Water. Floating candles and revelers wearing white add to the beauty of the landscape. Brazilian fishermen believe the New Year’s catch portends the fortune for the rest of the year. But don’t worry if you’re not a fish person, as the traditional holiday fare is lentils and rice, along with a tapioca dish called Farofa.

After a month of Bonenkai (“forget the year”) parties to bid goodbye to the year and all its problems, folks in Japan are ready to forgive grudges, and houses are scrubbed (again with the cleaning!?!) in preparation for the new beginning. New Years is considered the most important holiday of the year. Buckwheat soba noodles are served to symbolize longevity, homes are decorated with ornaments made from bamboo and plum trees, and a visit to a shrine such as Tokyo’s Meijii Jingu is in order. At midnight on December 31st Buddhist temples bang their gongs 108 times to expel 108 types of human weakness.

Home Away from Home for the Holidays

December 22, 2012 No Comments

Traveling for the holidays, but worried about missing out on all the festive décor, delicious food, and frosty snowflakes? Don’t worry. There are plenty hotels across the country — and around the world! –offering lots of lights, sights, treats, and sweets that will make you feel at home.

The Fairmont San Francisco

A 22-foot gingerbread house takes center stage at one of San Francisco’s most prestigious hotels. Take a stroll through the fragrant culinary concoction made from 650 pounds of candy, 12 gallons of chocolate, 7,500 pieces of gingerbread, and nearly a ton of icing. Be sure to peek through the windows at the train running through the house. After exiting this life-size Christmas staple, visit Laurel Court where guests can partake in traditional holiday foods and even a Christmas tea.

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Favorite Holiday Movies – Ours & Yours!

December 15, 2012 No Comments

There are many words used about our tried-and-true Christmas movies – emotional and moving and family-sweet among them – but one you hear less often is among the most crucial: repeat. Our favorite holly-bedecked films become our favorites through their annual December return, each year, to our cable channels and DVRs. Soon we can say all the lines along with the characters we love, from “Bah! Humbug!” to “You’ll shoot your eye out!” Thank their staying power, a staying power non-holiday movies can’t rightly claim, for their places in our hearts. Thank them also for being good, and fun, and, yes, moving. Here are a few of our chestnut-scented favorites.

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Spotlight on Indianapolis

December 1, 2012 No Comments

This week, Customer Service Agent Cathy shares some of her favorite things about a favorite city, Indianapolis!

Tucked away in the quiet Midwest, Indianapolis frequently is touted as an “up and coming” city. Perhaps surprising to many, it is currently the 12th most populous city in the United States and has many attractions worthy of your visit.

History buffs will want to visit the various war memorials, including the Soldiers & Sailors Monument, the Indiana World War Memorial, and the USS Indianapolis Memorial, among others. The Indiana State Museum and the Eiteljorg Museum are located in nearby White River State Park. The kids will love the Children’s Museum and the Indianapolis Zoo. A short drive north will take you to family-friendly Conner Prairie, where you can experience life in the 19th century.

Sporting News magazine recently ranked Indy as the 19th best sports city in the country. While in town, try to catch a Colts game at the magnificent Lucas Oil Stadium, which was host to the 2012 Super Bowl. Motor sports fans are familiar with the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400. If basketball is your thing, check out the Pacers (NBA) or Fever (WNBA) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.  Also located in Indianapolis is the campus of Butler University, whose men’s basketball team recently went to the NCAA Final Four two years in a row. The Indianapolis Indians play minor league baseball, and their stadium, Victory Field, is a fantastic place to watch a game.

If you’re more artsy than athletic, be sure to visit the Indianapolis Museum of Art and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. For theater performances, check the schedules at Beef and Boards, the Murat Centre and Clowes Memorial Hall. If you can’t make it to Indy Jazz Fest in September, you can swing by the Jazz Kitchen year-round for tasty food and excellent music. The Heartland Film Festival takes place each October and is one of the fastest-growing film festivals in the country.

Overwhelmed by the possibilities? Believe it or not, this just touches on some of the many activities available in one of the best cities in the Midwest. Come for a visit and experience true Hoosier hospitality!

Gift Ideas for Your Tech-Loving Traveler

November 24, 2012 No Comments

If you’ve got a digital junkie in the family, we’ve got gift ideas that will keep them charged and happy all year long!

Thin is In! –If you need your gadgets to step up and do double the duty, the Logitech Ultrathin IPad Keyboard Cover not only protects your precious Ipad, but also acts as a keyboard. You can hit the deck and the keys while away. Finally you can leave your laptop behind. It pays to be thin. $100

Power to the People – A big challenge every traveler faces is keeping their many devices fully wired no matter what the location. Innergie mCube Mini 90 is your go to on the go. The small power in your pocket can provide an extra 4.5 hours on the Ipad and 15 hours on the phone front. Whether on an obscure African safari or dealing with a power outage in the urban jungle, Innergie will keep your world fully wired. $59.99

Music To My Ears – When it comes to business, it needs to make sense. It’s all about the ROI and performance potential. Logitech’s UE 900 Noise Isolating Earphones performance and multi-tasking potential is music to any traveler’s ears. If you want to zone out fellow in-flight passengers, noisy neighbors in your hotel or simply pick up verbal nuances on the company’s conference call, Logitech’s earbuds will have you singing their praises. $400

Scan the Man – Time is money, but in today’s world space is too. One can’t afford to carry a boatload of docs or brochures home. So, slip VuPoint’s Magic Wand Portable Scanner in to your purse, briefcase or knapsack and capture images, menus, brochures or business docs all in a matter of minutes. With the wave of the wand, store up to 32G on microSDHC cards for easy storage and transfer. Now you have room to shop. $99

Next! – Whether packing for business or pleasure purposes, space and weight is always an issue. If leaving the laptop behind, but still in need of backing up precious photos and videos, slip Nexto DI Digital Photo Storage into your carry on to capture those images and memories while keeping the weight at bay. $399

Green with Envy – Netbook? Notebook? Tablet? If you can’t decide, opt for the Hybrid Tablet/Notebook HP Envy X2. HP Envy X2 gives you the best of both with a slide and detachable touch screen and an action packed window with an eight hour battery life for long haul flights and long layovers. If you’re waiting for the wave of the future, it‘s here this holiday season. $850