It is almost February, which means that Mardi Gras is just around the corner! After all the Mardi Gras festivities, the season of Lent will begin, and many around the world will adjust their normal diet for religious reasons. During the season of Lent, Christians, specifically, Catholics, give up a certain food or practice fasting. …
Everyone expects expats to have an adjustment period when moving to a new host country, but what about when they return home? Most expatriates underestimate the potential challenges to readjusting to life in their home country after an international assignment. However, studies have shown that repatriation is often the most challenging phase of an expatriate …
Cul•ture noun ˈkəl-chər : the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time : a particular society that has its own beliefs, ways of life, art, etc. : a way of thinking, behaving, or working that exists in a place or organization (such as a business) Last month, dictionary giant Merriam-Webster …
For many countries, the majority of winter holidays have passed, but this is not the case in Russia! In fact, Russian New Year’s Eve trumps Christmas in importance, with significant celebrations occurring all over the country in recognition of the holiday. There are actually two New Year’s holidays celebrated in Russia. Russia’s “Old” New Year …
In our last installment of Holiday Traditions Around the World, we will uncover traditions of the St. Lucia holiday in Sweden. We at Cultural Awareness International thank you for following this series and wish you and yours a very happy holiday season! St. Lucia’s Day in Sweden The Swedish Christmas season begins each year with …
Timkat in Ethiopia Each January, the remote city of Gondar is inundated with pilgrims during the religious festival of Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox celebration of Epiphany. One of the most important holidays of the year, Timkat is a two-day festival beginning on January 19th that celebrates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. On …
Join Cultural Awareness International for this three-part series as we explore holiday traditions around the world . . . Christmas in Peru Christmas traditions in Peru date back to 1535. The holiday has a long history in the country as the majority of the population practices Catholicism. December 24th is La Noche Buena, or “Good …
December 10th will mark the 64th annual Human Rights Day, which seeks to commemorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948. The holiday was first observed in 1950 and has remained one of the UN’s most important holidays ever since. Although the Declaration is comprised of a broad range of …
Do you enjoy adventurous voyages on the open seas? Do you appreciate a nice swig of Rum? Are you constantly in search of buried treasure? Do you currently sport a black beard? If so, you might want to check out the annual Pirates Week festival! The festival hoists anchor in the Cayman Islands for ten days, …
Día de los Muertos, the Mexican ‘Day of the Dead’ holiday is celebrated annually from October 31st to November 2nd. During the 3-day-long festivities, family members celebrate loved ones who have passed away by bringing sugar skulls (Calaveras), marigolds as well as photographs to decorate family members’ graves with. Marigolds are used in these rituals …
“The United Nations is needed more than ever at this time of multiple crises. […] At this critical moment, let us reaffirm our commitment to empowering the marginalized and vulnerable. On United Nations Day, I call on Governments and individuals to work in common cause for the common good. ” – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon …
Together with Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur forms the ten-day period known as the Days of Awe or Ten Days of Repentance. While God passes judgment on Rosh Hashanah, the Book of Life and the Book of Death will remain open during the 10 day period leading up to Yom Kippur, during this time is it …
The Diwali festival, also known as the festival of lights, is arguably one of India’s largest celebrations. Signifying the start of the Hindu New Year, Diwali also marks the beginning of winter. The dates of the festival are based on the lunar calendar, with this year’s start date falling on October 21st. However, the main …
Did you know that when you renounce your U.S. citizenship, you have to pay a fee? The subsidized fee used to be $450, but this week the State Department has announced that they plan to raise the fee to $2,350. The process has also been become increasingly more complicated. Now, not only do you have …
A referendum on whether Scotland should become an independent nation, thus breaking away from the United Kingdom, will take place on Thursday, September 18th. The vote is a long time coming as Scotland has been toying with the idea of independence since it first sent 11 members of parliament to Westminster in the 1970s. Were …
A recent museum opening in Dubai seeks to combine our favorite things here at CAI, coffee and culture. Khalid Al Mulla, a Dubai-based coffee trader, is the founder and curator of the Middle East’s very first coffee museum, the Dubai Coffee Museum, now open to tourists and coffee enthusiasts alike. Ever since being cultivated in …
In 2008, when the US housing bubble burst, the effects were felt worldwide. Banks collapsed, economies went into a tailspin and too many people lost their homes. As the real estate market saw housing prices plummet, the relocation industry had to reevaluate many practices revolving around home sale for assignees. Effective January 2014, the Consumer …
Traveling internationally is perceived as glamorous or adventurous. Coming home, not so much. Fatigue and over exposure to confined spaces can leave the best of us looking like our passport photo. After a long trip, the long lines one encounters in the Customs department can sap the glamour out of traveling. Recently, however, the US …
Relocating internationally has many challenges for an assignee and any accompanying family members. From housing and utilities to understanding local values and customs, these problems can seem insurmountable at times. For assignees going to and already in Thailand, this process just got a lot more complicated. Effective 4:30 pm on May 22, the Royal Thai …
In the great words of Dr. Seuss’ Butter Battle Book “And the things that you’ve heard about Zooks are all true. The terribly, horrible thing that they do, and in every Zook house and in every Zook town every Zook eats his bread with the butter side down. But we Yooks, when we eat, when …