Tag Archives: stamps

New Years Across the World #2

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It’s the second day of our analysis of the celebration of New Years and today we are focusing on Denmark and the traditional ways in which New Years is celebrated there. The wintry weather in Scandinavia during this time of year often spills over to New Years, resulting in a celebration similar to that of Christmas. Here’s what to expect if you’re celebrating New Year’s in Denmark.

A traditional belief in Denmark is that smashing plates and other pieces of china on people’s doorsteps ensures that they will have a successful year full of social benefits and newfound friendships. This particular routine is carried out at both midnight and throughout New Years Day itself.

In addition, Denmark highlights the New Years Eve celebrations by baking a huge cake known as a Kransekage. This cone-shaped cake is decorated and eaten as a dessert by those who attend the specific event. It is often accompanied by miniature flags, candles and other dramatic decorations to help liven up and represent the day.

If you know someone who requires a gift sent to Denmark in 2014, RAND Logistics can offer you an outstanding shipping service. Have a look at our shipping rates and get yourself a quote today.

 

New Years Across the World #1

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It’s the final week of 2013 and the start of a brand new year, so what better way to represent the huge event than to analyse how it’s celebrated across the globe. Many countries have their own distinct ways of celebrating New Years and the first country we are focusing on is Japan.

The Japanese believe that New Years Eve welcomes the God of the New Year, Toshigami. The Buddhist temples across the country symbolise the arrival of the New Year at midnight by ringing the temple bells 108 times precisely. This is seen as a fitting way of welcoming Toshigami and the start of a new year.

With Buddhists welcoming their New Year’s God, the rest of Japan treats the occasion as any other special event. Cards and gifts may be exchanged between friends, family and loved ones, whilst many people will give their homes a thorough clean in preparation for the New Year in a traditional manner. The cards that are exchanged are often a particular form of thank you card that acknowledges the affection shown throughout the year.

If you want to send a parcel to Japan in time for New Years, RAND Logistics can help. Take a look at our services and get a quote for the shipping of your New Years gift today.

Gifts to Avoid This Christmas #2

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Continuing with our week of our top tips of gifts not to give, we’ll look at some top tips in learning what doesn’t count as a good present.

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A great tip is to think about how you would feel getting a gift that you are planning to give. If the prospect of opening a set of neon orange dinner plates or a wooden coat hanger fills you with dread, then those are probably not ideal gifts to give someone else. Unless they have specifically asked for them, who knows, someone could be into neon crockery.

Know your audience! There is nothing more embarrassing than a gift of flower to someone who is allergic, or a bottle of bubbly for someone who is teetotal. Just take five minutes to do a little background research into your recipients’ likes and dislikes, and avoid the awkwardness when they open a present they can’t really use.

Whether your present is good, bad, or intentionally ugly, have a look at RAND logistics for competent, professional shipping anywhere in the world.

Watch out for customs! – Prohibited items you might not expect this Christmas

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If you are preparing for a Christmas event abroad and need to send various Christmas gifts over to a designated country, you might be surprised to learn that one of the most traditional items during the festive period probably won’t make it there. In fact, sending a certain selection of traditional Christmas items abroad could see you having to deal with customs. Here’s a look at some of the festive items that could be intercepted on their way to your addressee this December.

The first and seemingly most obvious Christmas item that you wouldn’t be able to send to many countries is mistletoe. Mistletoe counts as a plant and therefore could potentially spread disease to plants native to the country you are shipping to. The majority of plants are prohibited for shipping due to the threat of disease, so make sure you check with your addressee before shipping live Christmas decorations such as mistletoe, holly or natural wreaths.

Christmas crackers are one of the key components for any Christmas dinner. However, shipping one across the border could also get you into trouble with customs. Don’t forget that Christmas crackers actually contain small forms of explosive that create the snapping sound when you pull them. Due to the fact that these “devices” could be used in other methods of explosives, they are generally prohibited across the world.

You can have a look at our international parcel delivery page to study the items that cannot be shipped abroad. For more information regarding the services on offer, contact RAND Logistics today.

Christmas in Russia: How is it different?

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Whilst you gear up for your Christmas dinner on the 25th December, you might start a conversation with the rest of your family about Christmas worldwide and how it’s different in other countries across the world. It’s a subject that interests lots of people simply because Christmas is such a huge annual event.

Whilst you have many countries across the world not celebrating Christmas for religious reasons, there are also many countries that celebrate the big day very differently. One of these countries is Russia, the giant nation that remains to this day an ambassador of older annual traditions. Here are a few reasons why Russia celebrates Christmas differently compared to the vast majority.

Christmas was actually hardly celebrated across the Soviet Union if you look back throughout history. Nowadays it is widely celebrated, but not on the day you might think. In fact, Russia’s Christmas has already gone this year, about 11 months ago today.

Russia celebrates Christmas on the 7th January because they stick to the older “Julian” calendar when referring to religious events. Advent, the catholic celebration, lasts for 40 days in Russia, unlike in the UK where it traditionally lasts from the 1st Sunday of the Christmas season to the last. In the UK this year, the first Sunday of advent was on the 1st December and the last will be on the 22nd.

So if you’re getting your gifts ready to send internationally this year and you have a friend in Russia, you might want to consider that they celebrate Christmas Day on the 7th January. Wherever you choose to send your parcel, make sure you use the RAND Logistics services this Christmas!

Christmas Gift Ideas: Day 5

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It’s the last day of the week which brings to an end our series of Christmas gift ideas. As we’ve covered a variety of different groups of people it’s time to focus a bit more on context, which is why today’s Christmas gift ideas focuses on fashion. From the biggest hits of this year through to the trendiest outfits, we take a look at the gifts available out there that could really appeal to the modern audience.

Every year, there’s a wide range of different clothing trends throughout the Christmas period. Last year saw incredible success for the “onesie” as a Christmas gift and it looks like this year we’ll be seeing a lot more Christmas jumpers flying off the shelves. The knitwear has proved to be a big hit with all generations this year despite being ridiculed in the past were anyone foolish enough to wear it outside of their Nan’s company. The biggest stars in the business have flaunted Christmas jumpers this year already so it’s no surprise they are proving a massive success in all major clothing outlets.

It’s incredible when you compare the major trends of the last 50 years with this year when it comes to toys. There was a whole host of crazes that went in tandem with some of the most popular TV shows and films of the last few decades, such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Buzz Lightyear and the infamous Furby.

Today, Christmas toys are incredibly varied, with the Kuri 4S touch tablet device tipped to be a huge hit. Lego has always been a success at Christmas thanks to its innovative concept, whilst another hotly tipped toy for this Christmas is the Megableu Creepy Hand Game, a robotic hand that chooses the player to answer question itself!

With all these Christmas crazes set to hit the shelves, it might be a good idea to stock up on them before they go out of stock. Once you’ve got hold of them you can ship any gift internationally with RAND. Until then, a merry Christmas from everybody here at Rand Logistics!

Christmas Gift Ideas: Day 4

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It’s the fourth day in our week of Christmas gift ideas and this time we will be looking at ideas for friends. If you have a close friend or someone you really care about, it’s usually a no-brainer to get them something that will really cheer them up this Christmas.

Having a close knitted group of friends is really important for some people, so making sure that they’re in your Christmas gift plans is essential. What’s more, many close friends may have left the country or travelled too far away for you to see them regularly, so shipping a parcel their way with RAND could be the perfect way to reinstate your friendship.

When buying a gift for a friend you should always consider their personal tastes. If it’s a close friend that you are buying for, think about some of the times you’ve spent with them in the past and get something with an element of positive nostalgia. On the other hand, you may want to make them laugh with something that you have joked about together over the last year.

On the other hand, you could make the most of a beautiful bouquet of flowers if you haven’t seen them for a significant amount of time, or something that could potentially result in a future gathering, such as a ticket for their favourite film or a theatre production.

So if you need to reconnect with friends who live abroad or want to ship a Christmas gift somewhere across the globe, RAND Logistics have the ideal services for you.

Christmas Gift Ideas: Day 2

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Our next Christmas gift idea looks at teenagers and the vast amounts of gift ideas available for this age group. Teenagers are much like children in that a lot of their cherished items will be given to them at Christmas or for their birthdays. The spirit of Christmas is essential for every teenager as they grow up, so it’s important that they embrace the season and are given presents they will always remember. If you have a teenage cousin or nephew living in Australia, Poland or anywhere else in the world, here are a few great gift ideas that you can ship this Christmas using RAND Logistics.

Teenagers will have identified their preferred theme by now, be it sport, nature, arts and crafts, video games, music or technology. Many younger teenage boys will be really into their sport or their video games, making the latest video game or a new football or piece of memorabilia the ideal Christmas gift.

Teenage girls might be in to all sorts of gifts, so you can play it safe and get something inspirational such as a musical instrument or an artistic set. Both teenage boys and girls will have their preferences, so you might want to find out what it is they like. However, inspirational gifts can be really effective for teenagers to motivate them to get in touch with their passions and talents.

So, if you can’t wait to ship an acoustic guitar, a great new pair of shoes or a toy helicopter to a far-away teenage relative for Christmas this year, make the most of the services RAND Logistics have to offer and get in touch with us today for a wider description of our services.

A History of the Parcel: Day 5

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Our final instalment surrounding the history of the parcel focuses on postal services that date back as far as the seventeenth century. The postal system exploded into life during the 17th century with significant developments in the industry occurring across the UK and the US. The way in which parcel service’s ship items internationally has changed dramatically over the years, whilst you may be surprised to learn about the origins of the postal system in many countries and how local postage has changed since its introduction.

In 1635, Charles I made the first ever postage system available to the public, whereby the recipient would pay for any post or parcel that they received. This was the birth of the Royal Mail service in the UK. Meanwhile, four years later in the United States, the General Court of Massachusetts designated the tavern of Richard Fairbanks in Boston as the first postal establishment for the 13 colonies. It was known as the official repository of overseas mail.

In 1660, Charles II established the General Post Office which combined the state postal system and telecommunications in its services. Three years later, the Colony of Barbados welcomed the Imperial Post Office to its lands for the first time. Later in the century, William Dockwra introduced the London Penny Post, the first local postal service to come into existence. In the same century, Switzerland began using private postal services in Bern for the first time.

If you need to send a parcel abroad in the near future and need an up-to-date service that is certain to get your gift or item from A to B without incident, have a look at some of the services RAND Logistics has to offer.

A History of the Parcel: Day 4

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Our penultimate post surrounding the history of the parcel concentrates on significant changes that came around in the 1980’s and 90’s. Whilst these decades may seem particularly recent, there are still plenty of interesting facts to be known about how sending a parcel internationally changed in various ways. Here’s an overview of some of the major changes that happened throughout these particular decades with regards to the postal service.

The United States began using Electronic Computer Originated Mail (E-COM) in 1982. However, E-COM was only in use for a further three years after it was terminated completely by the USA in 1985. A year later, they introduced the ZIP + 4 in order to expand the coded system. In 1985, Jackie Strange became the first female deputy US Postmaster general.

In 1992, Canada became the first country to develop customisable stamps that were intended for greeting purposes. This particular form of stamp has become a phenomenon throughout major seasons such as Christmas and Easter time.

A number of countries began issuing their first ever set of stamps in the 1980’s and 1990’s, including Burkina Faso, Aruba, Azerbaijan, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

If you need to send a parcel internationally, why not make the most of the services RAND Logistics has to offer?