We have all been affected by the things we didn't know were coming or hadn't predicted in any way. Often these events come from no-where, have a significant impact on the way we work and our ability to deliver our services or products to our customers. These rare events are known as "Black Swans" but with a systematic and robust Business Continuity system in place you can be prepared.

Who would have thought that a Meteorite would land in Russia and cause the damage it did. You can sit and develop a long list of potential events that might affect you and the only certainty is that the one that does won't be on your list. By building a robust business continuity system you can plan to deal with the Black Swans.

Recently ley hill solutions has been working with several clients to develop Business Continuity systems that can address these risks. As its Business Continuity Awareness Week this week if you would like us to talk to you about how we could help please contact us.   

What exactly is the Vernal Equinox?

Dependent on the stage of the Earth's rotation around the Sun, this is the calendar date (on or near 21 March in the northern hemisphere) when night and day are as near as possible exactly the same length and the Sun crosses the Celestial Equator moving northward (The Celestial Equator is a projection of the Earth's equator onto the sky). It has traditionally marked the first day of the season of spring. Although always on or very close to 21 March, the exact date of the vernal equinox shifts slightly from year to year, because our calendar year is not quite a full rotation of the Earth around the Sun, hence the insertion of leap years. In the southern hemisphere, the vernal equinox corresponds to the northern autumnal equinox, when the Sun crosses the Celestial Equator moving southward, on or around 21 September.  

Other key dates based on the Earth's cycle around the Sun are the Winter and Summer Solstices on or around 21 December and 21 June respectively. These are also known as The Shortest Day (most hours of darkness) and The Longest Day (most hours of daylight). All four dates have been associated for many thousands of years with religious beliefs and rites all over the world and were incorporated as far as possible into newer Christian celebrations such as Christmas, Easter and Harvest Festival.

What is the origin of the word "Easter"?

Throughout history, many ancient cultures have celebrated Spring as a time of birth and renewal, following the darkness of the long winter. Historians have traced the origin of the word Easter to the Scandinavian word 'Ostra' and the Germanic 'Ostern' or 'Eastre'. Both of these derive from the names of mythological goddesses of spring and fertility, for whom festivals were held at the time of the Spring Equinox. Similar goddesses were known by other names in other cultures around the Mediterranean, such as Aphrodite from Cyprus, Astarte from Phoenicia, Demeter from Mycenae, Hathor from Egypt, and Ishtar from Assyria. All of these goddesses were celebrated in the spring.

How long have people been giving each other "Easter" eggs?

The egg has long been a symbol of rebirth and fertility. It is believed that eggs have been given to celebrate the Vernal Equinox for more than 2 millennia, whilst early Christians associated them with the resurrection because they are a symbol of starting new life. Decorating and colouring Easter eggs was a popular custom in the middle ages, using natural dyes such as onion skin, since when different cultures throughout Europe have evolved their own styles and colours.     

In Greece, crimson-coloured Easter eggs are exchanged, whereas in Eastern Europe and Russia silver and gold decorations are common, and Austrian Easter eggs often have plant and fern designs.  

The first of the highly wrought Fabergé eggs was made as an Easter gift for the Empress Marie of Russia from her husband, Tsar Alexander, in 1883. It featured a small gold egg in an outside shell of platinum and enamel.   

When were the first chocolate Easter eggs introduced?   

The first chocolate Easter eggs were made in Europe in the early 19th Century, with France and Germany taking the lead and Cadbury making their first Easter Eggs in 1875.

What is the largest chocolate Easter egg ever?

Well this all depends on which criteria you are judging size by - height, weight, amount of chocolate etc. - but according to The Guinness Book of World Records, this is the chocolate Easter egg made by Italian chocolatier Tosca, who specialize in over-sized cocoa confections. It was measured at Le Acciaierie Shopping Centre, in Cortenuova, Italy on 16 April 2011 and was 10.39m in height, weighed 7,200kg and had a circumference of 19.6m at its widest point. Now that's a lot of chocolate by anybody's standards!