When you think of New Year’s, you likely think of the countdown to the ball drop at midnight, followed by a champagne toast and maybe a special kiss at midnight. While this is common and customary for folks who grew up or live in the United States, a look at New Year’s traditions around the world may make us scratch our heads. While these practices may seem taboo, most of the reasons behind them make sense.
Chile – Sleeping With The Dead
Though a fairly new tradition (said to have originated in 1995), this practice of sleeping in graveyards is common in the small town Talca, Chile. It is said that a family jumped the fence of a cemetery to celebrate New Year’s Eve with their deceased father. Since then, the practice has caught on and you’ll find many locals at the cemetery on the eve of the New Year. While the act may seem creepy in itself, the sentiment is sincere.
Denmark – Smashing Plates
Smashing plates doesn’t seem too out of the ordinary, but the significance is a bit confusing. People in Denmark smash plates against their neighbor’s doors, and those with the most broken plates on their doorstep are said to be the most popular. Quite an interesting way to show affection, if you ask us.
Romania – Talking To Animals / Bear Dancing
Romanians have two bizarre traditions. On New Year’s Eve, farmers in Romania often talk to their livestock in order to bring them good luck in the coming year. Elsewhere in Romania, some people dress up in bear costumes, or brightly colored clothing, and dance at various houses in order to ward off bad spirits and demons. These dancing bears may also earn tips for their community service.
Estonia – Eating Too Much
In Estonia, on New Year’s Eve, it is customary to consume a total of seven meals for that day. These seven meals are supposed to ensure abundance throughout the New Year. In the US, I think we call this Thanksgiving.
Panama – Burning Celebrity Effigies
Burning effigies, celebrity or not, seems like a crazy practice. But in Panama, the act of burning celebrity effigies is said to bring good luck for the New Year, so locals gather to celebrate on New Year’s Eve.
Scotland – Balls Of Fire
On New Year’s Eve in Scotland, you’ll find men walking around in their kilts swinging fireballs over their heads. This is part of their Hogmanay (last day of the year) celebration, and a somewhat dangerous way to celebrate. Please don’t try this at home.
South Africa – Throwing Furniture
This is a practice banned by law, yet some still partake in it. On New Year’s Eve, some people may throw their old furniture out of their windows. It is said to be a way of symbolizing “out with the old, in with the new.” Unsafe and illegal, it may be best to avoid this practice all together.
Siberia – Underwater Tree Planting
In Siberia, trees are planted in freezing cold water on New Year’s Eve. This is done as a sign of peace for the New Year. This should only be carried out by professional divers as obvious health and safety risks are present.
Peru – Beating Each Other Up
Though celebrated on Christmas Day rather than New Year’s Eve, this tradition is just as outrageous as the aforementioned. In Peru, the Takanakuy fighting festival is a way to settle conflicts from the year in a battle of fisticuffs. Men, women, and children participate in order to enter the New Year with a clean slate.
Have we missed anything? Let us know! Share your unique New Year’s traditions with us on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, or Pinterest!
At SecurityCamExpert.com, your safety is important to us. However you choose to celebrate the New Year, please do so responsibly. Enjoy a safe & Happy New Year! We’ll see you in 2015!
SecurityCamExpert.com is happy to offer you a sense of security and safety with every purchase. We’ve continued to grow and it is all thanks to you. This holiday season, we’d like to show our appreciation.
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During the holiday season, the big guns come out and innovative tech gadgets hit the market. It’s always fun to see what’s offered during this time. It seems this year the buzz surrounds new wearable tech, smart devices, and commercial drones. TGI Fridays decided to take this technology a step further and use drones to spread some holiday cheer within their restaurant.
The Fridays Mobile Mistletoe is a mistletoe carrying drone which travels around the restaurant and hovers over unsuspecting couples. Per mistletoe tradition, the pair is supposed to kiss. The drone then captures the magic moment on its camera.
A pilot program was originally launched at the TGI Fridays Manchester Royal Exchange restaurant in the United Kingdom. The positive response inspired locations in New York Westbury and Brooklyn to introduce these holiday drones into their restaurants.
The concept of a mistletoe drone is festive and smart, but the execution could potentially cause problems. As the Brooklyn location rolled out the Mobile Mistletoe, it is reported that a person suffered a minor injury from the drone. This may cause legal concern for both the establishment as well as concerns about personal safety among diners.
In addition to injury risk, questions arise about the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations on commercial drones. However, since these drones are being used indoors as opposed to outdoors, jurisdiction becomes cloudy.
What do you think about the Fridays Mobile Mistletoe drone? If your local Fridays restaurant had them, would they entice or discourage you from dining there? Share your thoughts with us. Connect with us on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and Pinterest.
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Picture this: You’re lounging at home on a lazy day, not expecting to see anyone, when the doorbell rings. You’re curious to know who’s there, but you don’t particularly want to get up to check the peephole. The geniuses behind SkyBell have reinvented the doorbell system to solve that dilemma. Since its birth in 2013, business has been booming, and the updated SkyBell Version 2.0 is now available.
SkyBell basically turns your doorbell into a security camera, intercom, and wireless networking module. The wireless networking module enables connection to your home Wi-Fi to send push notifications to your smart phone when someone presses the doorbell or comes within range of its motion sensor. You may then initiate a session, involving one-way video and two-way audio. You may see and converse with your visitor, but they will not be able to see you. With that said, you can conduct these sessions whether you’re home or not. And if you have roommates, you can connect the SkyBell to multiple phones, so others can also receive notifications.
SkyBell is powered by the low-voltage wiring of your doorbell system. Those with battery powered doorbell systems may need to exert some wiring effort. The device does possess a back-up battery in case of power outages, as well as a silent mode so as to not startle pets or disturb whoever is home.
Version 2.0 boasts a night-vision camera with a 140 degree field of view, and the ability to capture an image within a 5-6 foot radius of the center of the camera. An improved Wi-Fi module enables speedy performance, and overall, provides more adaptability for future additional features.
Do you think SkyBell Version 2.0 can be an effective small scale security system? Or would you prefer a more comprehensive surveillance system in terms of home security? Share your thoughts on safety and security with us! Find us on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and Pinterest.
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Our fascination with innovative technology and gadgets has helped to propel the progression of wearable technology. From smart watches to fitness trackers to Google glass, wearable tech appeals to nearly every demographic. As we further develop these devices and their capacities, and more and more people adopt these gadgets, soon enough, we may all be smartly connected to each other.
Wearable technology can collect an endless amount of information. Whether for work, transportation, health, or the real world, the information can be easily transmitted to other devices. Most of this technology is incorporated into our lives already, but our interactions from day to day can be dramatically altered with further advancement.
Augmented & Virtual Reality
Augmented reality is like experiencing a digital environment within the real world, comparable to Google Glass and likewise devices. Virtual reality, commonly used in gaming, allows a person to be involved in an alternate environment. If implemented into the workplace, for example, an alternate workspace environment could be created, eliminating the need for a physical workspace. This could possibly cut back on commutes and allow for remote workers all around. In the case of schools, classrooms could be replaced with virtual classrooms. With the right devices, we could provide education to students around the world.
Field & Office Work
When out doing field work, you may have to report into your main office when you begin and end your day. Wearable technology, such as a wearable camera, could enable immediate reporting, transmitting pertinent data and footage straight back to the office. Without having to worry about taking notes and reporting back, workers could be more engaged and present in the interaction, potentially providing better, more effective meetings.
Vehicles & Pedestrian Safety
Enabling communication between cars, bikes, motorcycles and pedestrians could decrease the number of accidents. Some smart cars already possess sensors which detect and warn drivers when there are vehicles in their blind spot, and some cars even brake automatically when sensing decreased speeds ahead. For cyclists, this technology could possibly save lives. The wearable devices could warn both individuals that paths may cross and they can avoid an incident.
It’s obvious that this technology could offer numerous improvements, but what are the implications? Would we become completely dependent on our devices? If you own any wearable devices, or are considering investing in any, we would love to hear from you. Share your insight on this topic with us and your peers. Join us on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest.
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