ClassJuggler Holiday Wishes

At this time of year we like to surround ourselves with friends and family, enjoying meals and parties, and the simple joy of each other's company. For whatever holiday you celebrate: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or others, the entire team at ClassJuggler wishes you a safe and relaxing holiday.

Holidays Around The World

We thought it would be fun to take a brief look into holidays as they are celebrated around the world. Here are some of the more interesting facts and tidbits we found.

Christmas in Greenland

There are some rather unusual foods eaten at Christmas time in Greenland. 'Mattak' is whale skin with a strip of blubber inside. It is supposed to taste like fresh coconut, but is often too tough to chew and is usually swallowed. Another Christmas food is 'kiviak'. This is the raw flesh of little auks (a type of arctic bird) which have been buried whole in sealskin for several months until they have reached an advanced stage of decomposition! Although it sounds strange, it is a delicacy in Greenland.

Kwanzaa

During Kwanzaa a special candle holder called a kinara is used. A kinara hold seven candles, three red ones on the left, three green ones on the right with a black candle in the center. Each night during Kwanzaa a candle is lit. The black, center, candle is lit first and the it alternates between the red and green candles stating with the ones on the outside and moving inwards. This is quite similar to the lighting of the menorah in the Jewish Festival of Lights, Hanukkah.

Christmas in Canada

On the south shore of Nova Scotia, over Christmas, there's the tradition of Belsnickeling where people dress up in funny Santa costumes and go from house to house until the home owners guess who you were. It was especially popular in West & East Green Harbour. The Belsnicklers often brought musical instruments and sang. They were served Christmas cake or cookies. This tradition was brought to Nova Scotia by the 1751 Germans immigrants who settled Lunenburg and South shore.

The Jewish Festival of Lights

During Hanukkah, on each of the eight nights, a candle is lit in a special menorah (candelabra) called a 'hanukkiyah'. There is a special ninth candle called the 'shammash' or servant candle which is used to light the other candles. The shammash is often in the center of the other candles and has a higher position. On the first night one candle is lit, on the second night, two are lit until all are lit on the eighth and final night of the festival. Traditionally they are lit from left to right. A special blessing, thanking God, is said before or after lighting the candles and a special Jewish hymn is often sung. The menorah is put in the front window of houses so people passing can see the lights and remember the story of Hanukkah. Most Jewish family and households have a special menorah and celebrate Hanukkah.

Christmas around the world information reprinted from whychristmas.com

Is it Time to Upgrade? Don't Forget About Your Own Devices.

At ClassJuggler we are constantly upgrading our hardware and software to ensure our customers have the best experience possible.

If you feel your PC or tablet is slow as molasses, no matter how fast an internet connection you have, it's probably time to upgrade.

All technology has a shelf life and should be replaced as it ages in order to avoid problems and loss of data. Various technology experts recommend that a PC should be replaced every 3-4 years on average. The same is true for tablets and smartphones.

As technology advances faster than we can get used to it, it's also important to keep your software up to date, including security patches to your operating system, and updates to your web browser software. Don't scrimp on investing in good equipment to run your business.