Friday 29 November 2013

Thanksgiving Day- A Joyous Feast

Thanksgiving Day is a day reserved to thank God, for the bountiful yield particularly when the harvest season terminates. It is celebrated in various ways at different times of the year in separate parts of the country. In United States, it is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November with much zeal and enthusiasm. On the other hand, in Canada it is celebrated on the second Monday of October and is known as the Harvest festival. The celebration starts by getting together of near and dear ones to celebrate good luck together. This day officially marks the beginning of winter holiday season. It comes in between the Halloween and the Christmas. Thus, there is a long celebration waiting till Christmas.

History

Thanksgiving is indeed one of the oldest traditional festivals, celebrated throughout the world. It has been said that during ancient times, tribes used to make offerings and prepare feats to thank and appease the gods and goddesses of harvesting. It is believed that even Jews, the Romans and the Greeks celebrated similarly to gratify their gods and goddesses. In United States, it is believed that Thanksgiving was originally a harvest festival which was celebrated by the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony in 1621. Pilgrims celebrated a three-day feast to celebrate their magnanimous harvest in North America. This was how first Thanksgiving Day was celebrated.

George Washington had announced a National holiday on Thanksgiving Day in 1989.  However, later Jefferson dismissed the idea of giving National Day on Thanksgiving. But again in1863, Linclon announced last Thursday of November as a National Day of Thanksgiving. And finally in 1941, Thanksgiving Day was proclaimed as the fourth day of November by a joint resolution of Congress.

Meal During Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving celebrations have seen a lot of changes since its first feast in 1621. During the first feast, it is believed that the meal constituted of wheat, corn, peas, barley, wild fowl (ducks, geese, swans or wild turkey), fish (bass and cod) and five deer. Even today, the tradition remains the same of serving turkey, mashed potatoes, corn and various vegetables sand side dishes in dinner feast. The dessert normally consists of pumpkin pie or pecan pie.

Thanksgiving is Celebrated Round the World 

As the dates of celebration vary; the spirit remains the same throughout the world. In the United Kingdom, the day is celebrated as the harvest festival in late September or October. The day is marked by special services being organized at local churches to appease the god and goddesses of harvesting. The Jewish people, celebrates this festival for nine days to honor the festival. They call the festival as ‘Sukkot’. In China, the day is observed as the festival of autumn moon or Zhong Qui and is celebrated in the eight month of the Chinese calendar. In India, the harvest festival is celebrated as Onam in the state of Kerala. In Lithuania, the Thanksgiving tradition includes the creation of ‘boba’ meaning an old woman from the last sheaf of grain during harvest time. It is believed that keeping the ‘boba’ until spring keeps the crop healthy and alive until plantation of crop the next year.

Whatever the dates and reasons are for celebrating the ‘Thanksgiving Day’, it remains as a day for feasting and merry making with your family and friends. You could even take the opportunity of  Thanksgiving Day and combine it with your Christmas vacations to gift your family a holiday of their dreams! Don’t worry of the air ticket prices; there are many sites which provide cheap air fares giving you a vacation without blowing off your budget.

Wednesday 27 November 2013

Black Friday and Cyber Monday

The day after the Thanksgiving Day is called Black Friday. It marks the commencement of the Christmas shopping season. It has been the busiest shopping day since almost a decade. Most of the schools and other offices in the United States have both the Thanksgiving and the next day off due to which there is a surge in the number of shoppers. Of late, most retail companies open their promotional sales pretty early to launch the holiday shopping season. It is undoubtedly the biggest shopping festival.

The reason as to why it is called ''Black Friday'' is due to the fact that most retail owners report highest profits on this day. They keep a record of their business gains in black ink and losses in red. This tradition of using red and black ink lives is carried on even today, hence the name. This year, Black Friday is on 29th of November.


Cyber Monday is the Monday which comes after Black Friday. It follows the occasion of Thanksgiving. It is a marketing term which was formulated by marketing companies to lure people to shop online. The term ''Cyber Monday" was coined in November 2005 when the retailers noticed substantial increase in their online sales on the Monday following Thanksgiving. Cyber Monday was reported as the day of highest spending in the year 2010.

Now, Cyber Monday is an international marketing term in use by online retailers in countries like Japan, United Kingdom, Portugal, Canada, Chile, Columbia and Germany. This day sees several discounts and offers available for customers who shop online.

Journeycook.com is a one stop destination for all the travel services you desire. You can search for various flights available to your preferred destination, book cheap air tickets, find great hotels and all other travel information that you wish to get. All efforts are directed to make your travel a memorable and exciting experience for you and your entire family. All your travel needs are taken care of and you get a custom made package deal which is cost-effective too. We make customer relationships for a lifetime and serve you with the highest standard of services.

Monday 14 October 2013

Budget Travel to Incredible India

The Indian subcontinent is undoubtedly one of the most majestic places in the world. It is a beautiful country with many contrasts, from picturesque valleys to golden deserts, from mesmerizing beaches to serene snow-clad mountains. India is incredible in its rich cultural heritage with elegant monuments, temples and colorful festivals. Incredible variety of different cuisines and sumptuous dining choices is surely a treat for all palates. Booking a holiday to this enthralling country will give you nothing less than a perfect trip.

India is a vast country. Hence, one needs to research well and plan the trip in a systematic way. It should be chalked out day-wise. Numerous travel portals have eased the way of planning your trip.

Go through various blogs of these sites on India, and see which destinations suit your requirement. You would be indeed spoilt for choice. Call their free toll free numbers and discuss with the sales executives to help you chalk out your itinerary. You can either go for their fixed exotic packages or get your itineraries custom made according to your requirements.

An affordable option in North India will be to tour the Golden Triangle which includes Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. There are many monuments which offer a peep into the rich historical culture of this amazing country.

There are many budget airlines in operation in India and will certainly help in commuting within the country easier and low on your pocket too. Make sure to book the airtickets about six to eight weeks in advance so that you get the best prices. The domestic flights will also be cheaper if you make round trip bookings to and from a particular Indian city.

A useful and convenient option to consider is to take help of online travel agents who can guide you in the best possible direction to suite your budget. They will prepare the itinerary according to your suitability and will also provide good discounts as they are in tune with the latest promotions and offers available.

A trip to this enchanting country will definitely soothe your mind and soul and you will be enriched with wonderful memories for a lifetime!

So, get ready to experience the best of India travel with comfort, convenience and peace of mind.

Friday 4 October 2013

Cheap Travel Secrets Revealed

International travel is really not expensive these days and is easily affordable by common people. The lowering of prices has helped people in going for that dream vacation which they always dreamt! Tips for cheap travel can really provide you myriad options as to where you can go and what you can do to make the most of your holiday.

International travel has many travel secrets related with it today. People round the world are being bitten by the travel bug and wanting to explore the entire world one step at a time. In order to cater for this demand, travel operators and hoteliers have been more than glad to slash their prices and take on a more commercial outlook!

Below are few tips which could help you to make your holidays more affordable, and nobody can refrain from the offer of economical travel, so read below to find out how:-
  1. Choose your destination wisely- When you have a budget in mind, then decide on a place which is less popular amongst tourists. Don’t come in the “tourist trap”. You can call the customer care or read the blogs of various tourist companies to know about the exotic places round the world which are known to less people. Search internet to get the complete details of the shortlisted place.
  2. You must book your tickets from a trusted travel website rather than a travel agent because websites often have good deals for flights and accommodations that travel agents may not have. Also, by booking directly from the portals, you can save the commission fees asked by travel agents.
  3. Also by being flexible on travel dates and flights can give you a good deal. If feasible try traveling o either a Wednesday or Thursday as studies have proven them to be the best days for cheapest travel. Also if not much of a problem, book yourself an early morning or late night flights rather than afternoon or evening flights to help you save hundreds on your trip. 
  4. It is always a good idea to book air tickets and accommodations together to save some money up the sleeves. Most of the travel companies provide huge discounts when you book tickets and hotel together. They also provide other services along with it to attract customers like amount of coach services, baggage allowed, in flight meals etc. But you must always check all the terms and conditions before finally paying for the ticket.
  5. Cheap travel is making the world more accessible to everyone. By booking cheap tickets, you need not spend a fortune. Travel safe and enjoy your vacations stress-free!