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Peak Translations Insights

Category: Culture

halloween-lanterns

GHOULISH COMMERCIALISM OR REMEMBRANCE OF LOVED ONES LOST? HOW HALLOWEEN IS MARKED ACROSS THE GLOBE

As each year passes, it seems there’s an even greater fascination in all things Halloween. It is estimated that Halloween spending in the US has reached a staggering $9 billion each year. A phenomenal amount to invest in ghoulish costumes, decorations and sweet treats for one night only. Most known for its ‘trick or treat’ element, Halloween, also called All Hallows’ Eve, or All Saints’ Eve in some cultures, is a holiday that dates back some 2,000 years to the ancient

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Happy chinese new year

Happy New Year ‘Xīnnián kuàilè! (新年快乐)’ but sorry, we’re closed!

Chinese New Year (CNY) is the most significant festival in the Chinese calendar, typically celebrated between the 21st January and February 20th determined by the lunisolar calendar. Despite taking place during the winter season, CNY is also known as ‘Spring Festival’ (春节 ‘chūnjié‘ /chwnn-jyeah/), given that the start of spring falls between 4th-18th February. Each year also celebrates the very old custom of the year of a new zodiac animal with numerous denotations. This year, 2019, is the ‘Year of

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International Translation Day

“Shout, Shout, Let it all out, International Translation Day is what it’s all about!”

“Oyez, Oyez, Oyez!” Let’s shout out and let the world know what International Translation Day is all about. Have you ever heard of International Translation Day? Established and launched in 1953 by the International Federation of Translators, this annual event celebrated on 30th September (although this year the celebration will fall on Friday 28th September due to 30th falling on a Sunday), is a rather recent addition to the celebration of world events. And what does this day honour? Quite

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how to increase your international momentum in belgium

How to increase your international momentum in Belgium

Belgium, one of the most urbanised countries in the world, is surrounded by a host of land from France in the south, to Germany in the east, to Luxembourg in the southeast, and the Netherlands in the north. It is famed for far more than just chocolates, beer, waffles, and of course the world-renowned European Union. It is a beautiful country laden with varied landscapes including high hills and wild forests to the east, whilst the west provides a myriad

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christmas customs from across the globe

And the star of the show is Christmas customs from across the globe in all their religious, magical, sparkling and whacky glory.

  ‘Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la la la la la …’ It’s that time of year again where the sparkle of Christmas waves its magic wand and produces a diverse range of Christmas traditions from around the world.                                               A EUROPEAN CHRISTMAS CRACKER                                                                                    England (Happy Christmas) Supposedly when it comes to stirring the Christmas pudding mix, if it’s a wish you yearn to make, then each member of the family must follow the

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international business in taiwan

How to accomplish your international business mission in Taiwan

Taiwan in a nutshell is a small island about the size of Belgium or Switzerland, located between Japan and the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China. It is rich in heritage and culture, with incredibly beautiful and colourful temples to visit, a plethora of hot spring resorts in which to relax, an inordinate amount of jaw-dropping mountainous terrain for hiking and extensive cycle infrastructures for biking, especially in its capital Taipei. You will also never be caught off guard

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Get your business down to Mexico

¡Arriba, arriba! ¡Ándale, ándale! Get your business ‘Down to Mexico’!

  Located in North America, the Latin American country of Mexico is beautiful and diverse, rich in history and culture. Its official name is actually ‘Estados Unidos Mexicanos’ (United Mexican States), its current name derived from its capital, Mexico City. So what does this fascinating country offer to the world? The stereotypical answer might be tequila, but if there’s one thing that Mexico does well, it is without a doubt tequila, not forgetting celebrating the dead! There may be other

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Business success in the Netherlands

Windmill your way to business success in the Netherlands

The Netherlands (often referred to as Holland, although in fact Holland only covers two provinces of the Netherland Kingdom, Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland) is a small country that is flat as a ‘Dutch Pancake’ from head to toe, almost 25% of its land is at, or below, sea level, with the odd rolling hill interspersing the landscape. Synonymous with an eclectic mix of cultural quirks and traditions, the Netherlands gave birth to world-renowned artists such as Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Vermeer.

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Northern Europe translations

In a North European galaxy far far away … there lies the region of Norden.

In the far north of western Europe, a geographical and cultural region stretching for 1.2 million square kilometres (463,000 square miles), known as Norden, or more commonly described as the Nordics, offers the world a Viking heritage and a spectacular expanse of land comprising a patchwork of stunning landscapes and diverse geography. Made up of the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Norway and Denmark, as well as the terrains of Finland and Iceland, including the autonomous islands of Greenland, the Faroe

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Do you speak American English

Excuse me. Do you speak ‘American’ ‘Aussie’ or ‘Kiwi’?

  English may be the lingua franca of the world but when communicating internationally, it is important to note the right English. Although the similarities are vast, so are the variations. If you think of the many wonderfully colourful accents and jargon that grace the UK alone, the singsong patois of the Geordies in Newcastle, the rhythmic tones of London’s rhyming cockney slang and the sweet lullaby tones of the Gloucestershire environs, then envision the wider picture of English across

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Colosseum at night in Rome

Closed for business … it’s that time of year again … ‘the silly season’.

“Where is Europe during the month of July and August?” If you are a business who exports to Europe or has any international investment within this continent, then you might feel like you are playing the game of ‘Where’s Wally?’ if you do not take the time to prepare and get ahead of what is often referred to as ‘the silly season’, in other words the July/August shutdown in European businesses. Failure to do so means you will likely find

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View of snow-capped mountains

Master the art of tapping the right maple tree for an advantageous Canadian business partnership

When you think of Canada, the second largest country in the world after Russia, what immediately springs to mind? Most likely such things as maple syrup, elk, beavers, ice hockey and its stunning landscape will register. But did you know that this nation is able to beat any another country hands down as the biggest consumer of ‘donuts’, as well as offering a seven-month ski season?! It doesn’t stop there. This North American country houses more lakes than the rest

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