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Interesting New Year Traditions Across the Globe

There are many traditions of the new year which are celebrated by the people in different corners of the world. People across the globe ring into the new year with great warmth, zeal, and enthusiasm. They hope to stay alive, lucky, and prosperous. People in different countries have different traditions to welcome the coming year in the best way possible.

There are different practices around the world that people follow. A few of these have been listed here as performed in different countries.

Spain

Starting from Spain and going through the new year traditions, there is this unique tradition of eating grapes at the start of the new year. The people of Spain eat twelve grapes at the midnight to grace the tradition. The tradition dates back to the 19^th century. It is also reported that back in the 18^th century, the vine-growers of the Alicante region started this tradition. The idea was to sell maximum grapes at the end of the year. However, this celebration of eating grapes made its way to commoners. The Spaniards believe that eating twelve grapes for each bell brings good fortune, and there is prosperity in the home.

Scotland

The new year in Scotland is really new and unique. The Scottish are habitual of observing quite a lot of new year traditions. One of the important ones is first footing. They believe that if a tall, handsome, and dark-haired male crosses the threshold of the house after midnight, he brings good luck with him. The men should carry coal gifts, salt, whiskey, and shortbread to contribute to bringing the good fortune. The fortune which they believe is going to stay for the whole year.

It is also interesting to note the reason the Scottish consider black hair men lucky. During the times when the Vikings invaded Scotland, there were the light-haired men on the doorsteps of the people with a giant ax. Hence, the Scottish don’t admire the light-haired men anymore and a dark-haired man symbolizes success and grandeur.

The Netherlands

There is quite an odd tradition of eating the deep-fried oliebollen. These are small doughnut-like balls. The tradition got initiated when ancient Germanic tribes ate these deep-fried dough pieces during the Yule. According to which their goddess Perchta, the Belly Slitter tried to cut their bellies open and start filling the stomachs with trashes (as a punishment), the fat from the oliebollen will make her sword slide right. So, the oliebollen are enjoyed on New Year’s Eve and there is hardly a Dutch food vendor who is not selling these in the winter.

Russia

Russia is also not behind in the league of having weird new year traditions. It’s been a practice in Russia for more than 25 years now to dive into the world’s largest freshwater lake. They do it to get the new year tree, which is usually decorated spruce. The people get it for more than 100 ft below the surface. The temperature is normally below freezing during the New year in Russia. However, still, people manage to travel from all over the world to partake in the tradition. Russian people also observe the silence of 12 seconds before the midnight stroke and make wishes for the new year.

The second weird tradition of the Russian is about consuming the ashes. These are not human ashes before you feel disgusted. As per the culture, the Russian folks write their wishes and desires on the piece of paper and later burn these papers with candles. They mix the ashes with champagne and consume it on new year’s night.

Brazil

The people of Brazil have this tradition of littering the ocean with candles and white flowers. In the South American countries, the ocean is commonplace, where the people go on New Year’s Eve and make offerings to the Yemoja. She is considered a water deity who controls the seas and showers blessings to the people for the year to come.

Italy

The Italian love to ring into the new year in red underwear. Red is the color of fertility in Italian culture, and males wear the red undergarment in the hope of conceiving the coming year. They also believe to throw the old items and things out of the house to signify how they expect new stuff and things in the coming year.

Greece

Greece people have this tradition of hanging the onions on their doorsteps. This tradition has absolutely nothing to do with vampires. The Greeks have this belief of considering the onions as a symbol of rebirth. So, they have this habit of hanging the pungent vegetable on their doors to welcome the growth throughout the year. The Greek culture has a long affiliation and association with this food as an idea of development. Hence, they keep planting the onions and seeing their roots growing, eventually helping them grow.

Chile

This tradition is quite unique. The people of Chile ring in the new year with the deceased ones. They don’t make their presence in churches on New Year’s Eve rather go to cemeteries. They do it so that they can have time with their family members and share the new year festivities with them.

Japan

The Japanese believe in having a bowl of soba noodles to welcome the new year. The ritual is called ‘toshikoshi soba’. These are also known as the year crossing noodles. Although the origin of this tradition is unknown. As the Japanese believe, the thin and long length of the soba symbolizes a long and healthy life. It is also believed that the soba’s noodles are made from the buckwheat plant, which is strong and resilient. So, the people have pasta to test their strength. They also like to have the prawns and believe that eating prawns in the new year brings long life. Japanese also consume the herring roe on New Year’s Eve for fertility.

The Buddhist temples in Japan have this tradition of ringing the bells 107 times on New Year’s Eve right after the clock strikes midnight. The tradition is called ‘joyanokane’. The Japanese practice it to cleanse the sins of the past year by removing the 107 evil desires.

Japanese also have this tradition of visiting a local temple to exchange the luck charms of the previous year with the new one.

Denmark

The Danish people have an interesting tradition of smashing the plates and dishes in the new year. They believe in breaking the dishes and having these piled up on the doorstep by the end of New Year’s Eve. It is their tradition to throw the plates on the front doors of their friends and neighbors in the new year. They believe that doing so leaves the ill intentions and any aggression behind with the previous year. They also believe to have a bigger pile of broken dishes to be lucky and happy in the coming year.

Another tradition they practice is literally jumping from the sofa or chair to ring in the new year. It is like jumping into the new year. They consider it lucky to do this, and luck surrounds them throughout the year.

Germany

Germany has its own unique traditions to follow on New Year’s Eve. New year’s festivities in Germany center around the activity of lead pouring. Everyone from the crowd has to take a small piece of lead and melt it from the flame of the candle. They later pour it into the container of cold water. They believe that the shape of lead or tin reveals the person’s fate for the upcoming year. A ring or heart shape depicts an upcoming wedding. A ball refers to bringing luck, and the shape of a pig means there is plenty of food coming in the new year.

Czech Republic

The Czech people have the contribution of apples to decide their good luck on New Year’s Eve. According to this tradition, the fruit is cut in half, the apple core and its shape decide the fortune of everyone who is standing in the surrounding. The star-like apple core hints the happiness and health for everyone and if the core is like the cross, it might make the people fall sick and bring ailment for them.

Estonia

Celebrating New Year’s Eve in Estonia could be all the foodies can ask for. They serve way more than the three meals of the day. The people believe that having at least seven, nine, or 12 meals could bring positive things and good energy in the coming year. Besides that, the people of Estonia throughout the country consider these numbers lucky.

Turkey

People in Turkey love to sprinkle salt on their doorsteps in order to give a lucky welcome to the new year. They do it right when the clock strikes midnight. The Turkish people believe to promote prosperity and peace and have it as well by doing so on New Year’s Eve. Other than this unique tradition, there are fireworks, festivals, and other new year activities.

Ireland

Well, this one is really weird and unique as well. It is quite a tradition in Ireland that the single girls sleep with the mistletoe (which is a parasitic plant) under their pillows on New Year’s Eve. They believe by doing so they might get their future husband in the coming year. If not in reality, at least, in their dreams. Isn’t it strange?

The Irish people have many traditions which they practice on New Year’s Eve. They also believe to bang their houses and outside walls with bread to keep away the evil spirits and bad luck. Besides that, they believe to ring into the new year with cleaned homes and putting an additional plate on their dinner table for a family member lost in the previous year.

Switzerland

The Swiss people are not behind in having the new year traditions. They practice this strange tradition, according to which they drop a dollop of cream on the floor on New Year’s Eve. They believe that doing so brings peace, prosperity, and luck in the new year. Swiss people love to have fun and enjoy the parades and festivals of the new year.

Armenia

The people of Armenia bake special bread on New Year’s Eve. They have named it ‘Good luck bread’. They use this special ingredient in their bread, which is a stroke of good luck. Obviously, they can not add this ingredient literally into the batter. However, they follow the tradition of kneading the bread with this metaphorical good wishes into every bread batter which they bake on the last year of the day.

Mexico

The new year in Mexico in North America is Año Neuvo in Spanish and considered a time of embracing the new energies. The Mexicans throw the buckets of the water through the windows and open their front door to sweep out the old year symbolically and give place to the new year. The families toss the coins on the grounds, and then these are swept back into the house. According to their beliefs, doing so brings prosperity and a bright future. Other than this they attend parties, parades, and other eye-catching fireworks as the normal traditions.

Puerto Rico

As in other Latin countries, the people in Puerto Rico throw pails of the water to sweep away the evil spirits. They also have this practice of eating 12 grapes at the midnight to welcome the 12 months of the new year with luck and prosperity. They also believe to clean their houses, cars, streets, and everything to give the new year a tidy welcome just like in Ireland.

Final Words

The new year is welcomed by one and all in different styles and with a variety of traditions. Every country has its tradition which they practice on New Year’s Eve to welcome the year. This includes the common fireworks, new year festivals, and parades as well as a number of weird traditions. Spanish like to have 12 grapes to welcome to have the luck and prosperity in the next 12 months, and people in Armenia bake a good luck bread with a metaphoric ingredient of good luck. So every country enjoys New Year’s Eve according to their customs and traditions.

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Eric Batley December 31, 2021 0 Comments

NEWS

Fastest Growing Industries in China Due To COVID -19

China is the forerunner of technological and business changes in the world, leading in both areas and many others. While this superpower has garnered massive revenues owing to its advancements, some mishaps have taken the country some notches back. COVID-19, also known as coronavirus struck in late 2019, disrupting the normal way of life in China, claiming thousands of lives worldwide and disturbing everything from business to financial markets. As the virus struck, Chinese companies tried to save their businesses and economies by providing its people with items at their doorsteps with the help of online selling. Other businesses joined the bandwagon of selling face masks, hand sanitizers, and temperature check devices. Whether it was the garment manufacturers, banks, or companies providing translation services, all suffered a blow when employees were sent home or made to work from home. Some industries in China, however, benefitted from the pandemic. Let’s take a look at these industries:

E-commerce and Online Shopping:

Keeping in mind the security concerns and the lockdown situation in China, people started shopping online which proves to be a huge jump for the E-commerce industry. The revenue generated from this online shopping reaches such heights that from 2019 to 2020, online shopping increased by 22% and it is predicted to grow by 20.1% this year too. COVID-19 also boosted the usage of online mobile facilities: ordering stuff from homes and receiving them at their doorsteps. Taking advantage of this, companies in China leveraged the power of social media to offer group buying deals to Chinese in an attempt to make more sales and profits. This trend is likely to continue until the lockdown situation eases in China.

E-learning and Online Education:

Perhaps the industry that was most affected by COVID-19 is the E-learning and online education industry. China closed schools and institutions to reduce the spreading of virus and to protect the students, staff, and teachers from becoming the victim of the corona. As a result, a shift from textbooks to online devices such as laptops, mobiles, and tabs was seen, which boosted the gadgets industry at large. It is also important to mention here that investments of 18.66 billion dollars were made in the year 2019 on the online education sector in China and it is predicted that in 2020 this number will ascend with skyrocket speed. In the Chinese city of Wuhan, almost 7, 30,000 or 81% of students are being educated in their homes through online education programs. Since students prefer this mode of education, it is estimated that E-learning and online education will bring a profit of USD 200 billion to China by 2024.

Lifestyle, Health, and Fitness

As a means to restrict the spread of the virus, the rules of social distancing was implemented throughout the world. Social distancing involved isolation in which people avoid gatherings by staying homes and this has led them to pursue fitness and health regimes in order to stay busy. As a result, a huge number of citizens ordered workout equipment and appliances to their houses. Since everyone knows that staying healthy and fit can be beneficial in the times of the virus, there is an even greater emphasis on it. China also provides mobile fitness apps, encouraging yoga, and promoting morning exercise classes by live television shows which have become a trend. According to JD.com during the lockdown in China, the sales of yoga mats and dumbbells jumped by 150% and 60%, respectively. In fact, 513% live fitness classes were searched online in January 2020 and this trend is likely to continue in the future as well.

The Games Industry

The global games industry has also been affected by the virus—but in a good way. As people observed social distancing and were isolated in their homes, a humungous usage of online gaming on smartphones, laptops, and iPads was seen. According to statistics given by Niko partners, China is the world’s largest game player market with over 720 million game players playing on digital devices. The use of games in the pandemic increased to such an extent that it is predicted that about USD 36 million revenue will be collected by this gaming industry in 2020. In terms of video consumption, a 40% increase was recorded in China, and entertainment portals such as Netflix and iQiyi secured revenues of USD 187.6 million in March alone, while the game industry giant Sony made an investment of USD 400 million on online video streaming in China.

Internet Services

COVID-19 brought a host of problems with it—the biggest of which was the lockdown. This lockdown left the masses isolated at homes, leading to boredom. Ultimately, the only thing they could turn to was the internet. Although people were sent home to stay safe, they were encouraged to work remotely. This is the reason educational institutes, companies, and factories shifted their work online in order to facilitate their employees who were working from home. This gave impetus to internet services and a rapid increase in the usage of internet services was noticed. While the estimated usage of the internet in China from 2019 to 2020 is already reaching 30.7%, the expected growth rate by the end of this year is projected at 35.2% or USD 712.5 billion. Moreover, it is further predicted that revenue from an online business in China will reach USD 1.96 trillion by the end of 2020.

Optical Fiber and Cable Industries

During the pandemic, the telecommunication and information technology market also witnessed a boost. As everything shifted online and work began to be done from home, this industry escalated in demand. Moreover, the people who never used the internet before also turned towards it in a bid to stay updated in the time of crisis. This is why it is predicted that revenues from the optical fiber and cable industries will increase by a huge 14.3% which is USD 60.9 billion.

The “Social Media” Industry

The biggest change that was witnessed at the time of COVID-19 was the increase in the use of social media in the wake of the lockdown. As all the work is being done remotely, retailers are using the power of social media to advertise their products. Online platforms such as Alibaba’s DingTalk, WeChat, Byte, and Lark are at the top position in China. People started selling and purchasing online which further boosted the E-commerce sector of the country. While WeChat was being used by businesses such as manufacturing, retail, agencies delivering Chinese translation, and others, they also began to be used by the general public. The Tencent app downloads rose from 250,000 to 5 million, whereas WeChat and DingTalk’s app downloads escalated by 572% and 1446%, respectively. This just goes on to show how much these apps were being used by the people who wanted to stay in touch with their families and friends while staying indoors.

Medical Equipment and Supplies

The medical and pharmaceutical industry is at the frontlines when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the number and influx of patients kept on growing, the demand for medical supplies, equipment, and especially ventilators went up and this became a golden opportunity for their manufacturers. The Chinese medical companies are also investing a large amount of money for the vaccination of coronavirus which resulted in a huge purchase of related equipment and supplies. Furthermore, social media usage also increased owing to doctors and nurses communicating with each other.

Solar Power Generation

As power shortages began to occur in China due to high electricity demand, people were forced to turn to solar power. This led to an increase in demand for solar panels and this industry is anticipated to grow by 32.2% which is approximately USD 7.9 billion.

House-cleaning and Home Care Services

There is an in-home care and household industry in China which provides facilities and take care of the elders and newborn babies. Owing to pandemic more people remained at home, more house-cleaning services were demanded and more business boosted up. The revenue from the home-care industry increased from 14.2% to 15.3%. Furthermore, it is anticipated that USD 100.6 billion revenue from house-cleaning and babysitting services will be generated in 2020.

The Last Word

COVID-19 has been the highlight of this year 2020. While it has disrupted life and affected the usual activities in China, some industries saw the light of the day in the wake of the pandemic. As businesses prepared to veer themselves away from the losses owing to the lockdowns and curfews, some industries took advantage of the lockdown situation to stabilize themselves and make profits while being socially responsible. Nevertheless, the virus has and continues to disrupt the normal working of businesses not only in China but also globally and it will be a couple of years till these businesses return to their normal working cycles after the pandemic is over. For now, they just have to cope up in this situation and make the most out of the lockdown and shutdowns.

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Antonia July 28, 2020 0 Comments

NEWS

Why You Need Chinese Translation Services?

China is very strenuous nation. The Chinese people have their own values, norms and traditions. They have their own way of doing business which is different from other countries. Chinese is view as essential language worldwide because its usage is increased in global world. Chinese is used in many businesses globally including Hollywood. Chinese language must be learned as a second language.

Learning Chinese or getting its translation will be the best way to open the new avenues of global businese.If you are non-Chinese native, marketing your product and services will be a cumbersome task without any right assistance.Businese and e-business needs to be accurately translated, competent translator can work for you so that you can convey your message to target audience while eradicating any communication barriers.

Introducing your Product and Services in Chinese Market

1.3 billion people are residing in China and this number is still increasing. There is a large consumer base with the potential of global growth. For the last decade GDP of China is largest in the world. Wealth is in abundance in China furthermore rich people are getting richer and poor people are getting poor but still there is the demand in China for foreign high quality goods and services.

Chinese people are of the view that you get for which you made payment. Many Chinese are willing to pay for high quality products and services particularly coming from Australia, New Zealand, The U.S, and the UK.

How to penetrate in Chinese Market?

You need a roadmap for entering Chinese market. A marketer with extensive knowledge of the Chinese market, knowledge of Chinese dialect and nuances and consumer behavior of Chinese customers can assist you in understanding the Chinese market. Considering all segments of marketing from consumer behavior analysis to the launch of the product. A Chinese marketer and translation consultant should have deep through knowhow of Chinese and Western culture.

They can assist you in both references and assist you in attaining your objectives in the competitive global market. At present, the real estate, gaming, food and technology industries are growing at the rapid rate in China. If you want to penetrate in any of these markets, a person with Chinese background will assist in completing your work efficiently and reduce the probability of being offensive. It can be done smoothly if you are adapted to Chinese culture. For example a Client order for white hats for a promotional gift of a product for the new Chinese year.

The client is unaware of the fact that wearing a white hat in China means demise of close friend. It is illegal for the Chinese New year. If we have completed the order without consultation than the sales would be decrease leading to the loss of millions.

Projects seeking Translators Help

Any Chinese project can seek the help of a foreign language consultant. In addition to simply translating your communication, a Chinese language consultant can analyze the better communication ways to avoid any miscommunication.

In case you are doing investment for a business partner, translating any legal report or writing the contract which needs sign of both English and Chinese counterparts. Different documents require different skillsets for doing translation.

There are a few examples.

Website Translation: You require someone who has strong marketing competencies and who is creative in the language. The main objective is to seek attention of the audience, and there are certain words in Chinese which are meant for it.

Technical Translation: In translating technical projects accuracy is very important. You need a certified linguist who will do translation with accuracy. In lot of the times, certain research is required in specific industry to find the right terminology and sometimes they themselves create for it.

Commercial Documents e.g. Presentations, proposals: knowhow of business is best. You can elect somebody who is from same background and who can understand the rules and regulations of specific industry.

Important points for having a Chinese Translator on your next pursuit

There are some important points for questing a Chinese language consultant and getting your task started.

Demand a test translation: After scrutinizing the candidates, send a example of the document and demand fix quote or per word rate.

Projects in Progress: You need to select an hourly contract or your translator needs to log hours for completed work. It will work with applications which updates on regular basis.

Interim Projects: If you regularly require an advice. Working on hourly basis is the best option. The consultant can assist via phone, email, Skype or in person.

Find someone who is dedicated and communicative. Starting business in China will have lots of ordeals. A good consultant should be aware of present and future and should be prepared for it.They should be dedicated, provide assistance for every problem that occurs. Consequentially they should be capable of saying no.

You get for which you pay. Proofreading or handling the bad translation takes a lot of time similar to starting the translation project again. The thin line between good translator and a bad translator is the time and thought which you put into a translation.

A state of the art translation will think various times and write down the notes while taking into account the big picture whereas bad translation will be from word to word.

Wrapping Up

China is the second largest economy of the world and it is considered an engine of global economic growth. An opinion of this can be seen by the volume of work which is undertaken by various Chinese Translation Agencies.

At the same time situation is not so good for china because of higher interest rate in China and the treat of the trade war.

Chinese interpreters and Chinese Translators play important role in facilitating international trade. Presently with increase in globalization there is high demand of Chinese translation services hired by corporates for global business purposes. Corporate e-commerce companies tie up with Chinese Translators who can help companies in translating business documents and to become part of global business.

admin_chinese_translation October 4, 2019 0 Comments