How did Boxing Day originate in England?

Where did the Christmas tree originate?

What does the German word "dickbauch" mean?

Why is December 13th special in Sweden?   

In the UK we have long been used to unpredictable weather - the variety of the weather conditions and their tendency to change completely in the space of a day have long been a notorious source of British small talk. But the onset of global warming has significantly increased the risk of extreme weather situations world-wide and potential exposure to weather related events has shot up the corporate risk agenda in recent years, since these events have been responsible for the biggest corporate losses e.g. the 2010 floods in Europe led to losses of tens of millions of euros, whilst the Icelandic ash cloud in the same year caused significant loss in the travel industry and the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011 severely disrupted operations for global companies like Sony and Hitachi. In today's world of global supply chains, an event in one location can have serious repercussions across the world, as manufacturers or food retailers, for example, may be reliant on supplies from thousands of miles away.

So what can companies do to safeguard against this type of risk? Many businesses may feel that extreme weather is simply too great a risk to quantify or control, but this is tantamount to burying their heads in the sand. Business continuity and disaster recovery planning should be integral to any business's way of doing things, even very small companies. Indeed, smaller companies will almost certainly not have the financial agility of the larger corporations and a major event could put them out of business permanently. You need to ask yourself "what if?" and then "how could we carry on if it did happen?" and not only in regard to your own organisation, but to your whole supply chain. Once you have developed a business continuity and disaster recovery plan, you then need to make sure it is robust by testing it. This of course applies to risks other than the weather, such as potential fire, power black-out or terrorist attack, but the kind of wide scale disruption caused by events such as Hurricane Katrina or a large tsunami, tends to be rarer with other events.

Creating a business continuity and disaster recovery plan can be quite daunting for people who have never considered it before, but we at ley hill solutions have considerable expertise in this field. Have a look at our website and do contact us if you would like to know more about it or feel you could do with some support in this area.

How did Boxing Day originate in England?

Although the exact origin of Boxing Day is unknown, it is believed to date back to England during the Middle Ages. The most widely accepted theory is that even though servants were required to work on Christmas Day, they were given a reprieve the day after to visit family, with their employers sending them off with a box containing gifts and food, hence the term "Boxing Day."

Where did the Christmas tree originate?

The custom of the Christmas tree developed in early modern  Germany, with predecessors that can be traced to the 16th and possibly the 15th century. It was first introduced to England in 1800, by Queen Charlotte, the German born wife of George III. However, Christmas trees only became more widely popular in England during the mid 19th century, due to people following the example of the much loved Queen Victoria and her family. In the latter part of the 19th century they spread to other European countries and to America.

What does the German word "dickbauch" mean?

Celebrating the season is a month-long event in Germany, with festivities culminating on Christmas Eve, when the Christmas tree is unveiled, after which there is a feast so lavish that the evening is often called dickbauch or "fat stomach." It is believed that those who do not eat well will be haunted by demons during the night!

 Why is December 13th special in Sweden?

 It is St. Lucia Day, or the Festival of Lights, celebrated throughout Sweden, on one of the darkest days of the year, to symbolise the promise of the sun's return. In the past a young girl would dress in a white gown with a red sash and a wreath of lit candles on her head. She would go from house to house offering baked goods. Today the tradition continues with the oldest girl in a family waking everyone else with a song and saffron buns and coffee, wearing the traditional dress and with a wreath of battery-powered candles on her head.