Halloween:
Facts
and Folklore
Halloween's
roots can be traced back to Celtic culture in Ireland. According
to their "Druid" religion, November 1st was New
Years' on their calendar. The celebration would begin on
October 31st ,and last into the following day. The spirits
of all who died in the prior year, would rise up and roam
the earth on this night.
A
Really Big Show
Halloween is second only to Christmas in spending. According
to the latest National Retail Federation Halloween survey,
consumers say they plan to spend roughly $44 per household
this year on Halloween candy, costumes and decorations,
mirroring last year when consumers said they would spend
$45.
Consumers
aged 18 - 34 appear to be leading the charge as this age
group plans to spend $67 on Halloween related goods, $23
more than the average. Consumers with children plan to spend
$62. The Halloween season is projected to bring retailers
roughly $6.9 billion in sales. That's a lot of Skittles.
Pumpkin's
Roots
Pumpkins have inhabited the planet for several thousand
years and originated in Central America. They were used
then (and now) as a food crop.
Growing
big pumpkins is a big time hobby. And, serious at that.
Top prize money for the biggest giant pumpkin is as much
as $25,000 dollars at fall festivals. The current world
record for giant pumpkins is 1,140 pounds.
The First Jack O'Lantern
The Irish carved Turnips and put coals or small candles
inside. They were placed outside their homes on All Hallow's
Eve to ward off evil spirits. They were also known to use
potatoes and Rutabagas.
When
Irish Immigrants came to America, they quickly discovered
that Jack O'Lanterns were much easier to carve out and began
using them. This tradition quickly spread to the general
population in America and elsewhere.
Trick or Treating
It is believed that the Irish began the tradition of Trick
or Treating. In preparation for All Hallow's Eve, Irish
townsfolk would visit neighbors and ask for contributions
of food for a feast in the town. So,
start early this year to make sure you get your fair share
of that $7 billion worth of candy that's gonna' be out there!
Meet
Aaron Dotson
District
Sales Manager
 Aaron
joined RBI in 1997 pulling and packing orders in the warehouse.
Promoted to customer service just 3 months later, Aaron
further learned our business as he worked closely with our
customers to expedite and manage their orders.
In
May of 2000 he was promoted to District Sales Manager where
he quickly put his customer service experience to work building
new relationships.
As
you can see ftrom his picture, he is always smiling and
truly cares about his customers! Always one of the first
to arrive in the morning and the last to leave at night,
Aaron Dotson is a big part of the RBI Difference!
Click
here for
more profiles of the RBI USA management
and sales team!
Final
Word
A
new manager spends a week at his new office with the manager
he is replacing. On the last day the departing manager
tells him, "I have left three numbered envelopes
in the desk drawer. Open an envelope if you encounter
a crisis you can't solve."
Three
months down the track there is a major drama, everything
goes wrong - the usual stuff - and the manager feels very
threatened by it all. He remembers the parting words of
his predecessor and opens the first envelope. The message
inside says "Blame your predecessor!" He does
this and gets off the hook.
About
half a year later, the company is experiencing a dip in
sales, combined with serious product problems. The manager
quickly opens the second envelope. The message read, "Reorganize!"
This he does, and the company quickly rebounds.
Three
months later, at his next crisis, he opens the third envelope.
The message inside says "Prepare three envelopes".
Your
Chinese Bearing Solution. |
