Christmas in Russia: How is it different?

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

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

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.

A History of the Parcel: Day 4

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?

Competitive Rates Available With RAND

Well, it’s Monday again, and we’re sure you have a to do list as long as your arms just like we do. If you have ‘MUST DELIVER PARCELS’ written in capitals and underlined three times at the top of yours, you’re not alone. Fortunately, this is one of the easiest tasks to cross off, and you don’t need to spend a fortune getting everything posted. All you need to do is head to RAND’s quote finder to get yourself the best prices on parcel delivery. We are able to deliver parcels virtually anywhere in the world, so get a quote now and get that to do list whittled down.

Staying on Top of Sent Parcels

Just because your parcel has been sent, it doesn’t mean you will stop worrying about it. Christmas may not be upon us yet, but the early birds among us like to get things bought, wrapped and sent as early as possible to make sure it arrives in more than enough time so we can sit back and relax. The next few months will see a surge in parcels passing through the sorting offices of the country, so you’ll obviously want to make sure yours are safe. You can use the RAND parcel tracking app to keep an eye on exactly where all your parcels are so you don’t need to worry, so even if you’re sending ten lovingly wrapped gifts, you can track each and every one to be sure that they arrived safely at their destination.

Selling Summer Clothes Online

When we need a bit of extra cash, many of us turn to eBay to sell some of our unwanted belongings. We hate to be the first to mention it, but with Christmas closer than we might like to think, lots of us will be thinking about making a bit of money so we can save for the big day. One good way to do this can be to sell some of the more questionable sartorial purchases we made over the summer.

Maybe it’s that little neon number that looked perfect on a Spanish beach but is just too blinding for the UK. Maybe it’s those terrible sandals you bought on a whim in a bout of sweltering weather. Whatever it is, we all buy things we regret, especially when we’re hot and just want to be wearing something cool, so the end of summer is the perfect time to get it all listed online and hopefully sold.

Many people choose to send only within the UK, but if you have chosen to send overseas, make sure you use a reliable courier such as RAND. It can be expensive if your item doesn’t arrive with its buyer or arrives damaged, as you will have lost the item and will have to refund the buyer, so it’s important that your item arrives in one piece in a timely fashion. This way, your feedback will be positive, your buyer will be happy and you will reap the rewards in the form of a bulging bank account.

Get a quote from RAND today to find out how much will cost you to send your eBay goods overseas.

Sending Back-To-School Gifts

The start of September is all about the dreaded return to school. As the leaves start to fall from the trees and new pencils are sharpened for the very first time, the glorious summer holidays can seem a long way away. All over the world, children are meeting their new classmates for the first time, getting their new school shoes muddy and waiting to grow into their too-big uniform.

Wherever your young friends and relatives are based around the world, it’s not too late to send them a gift to cheer them up during what can be one of the most nerve-wracking times of year for many children. Maybe a new toy to put a smile back on their face, or some stationery essentials to show off in the classroom. Whatever it is, make sure you send it with RAND.

RAND guarantees competitive rates and a reliable service, meaning your items will get there when we say they will. You can also track your parcels using our handy tracking service to find out where in the world they’ve got to so far. That way, everyone will be happy, and you won’t need to worry about where your gift has gone, so get a quote today, and happy September sending!