Junkanoo celebrated in the Bahamas, where it means John Canoe. It is said to be the name of a man who insisted he be allowed to celebrate with his family after being sold into slavery in the
West Indies.

Since then slave were given a holiday to celebrate with their family. Junkanoo has turned into a holiday of festivities including dancing and singing in African tradition.

Like England, Bahamians commemorate Boxing Day. Here, it is a time where bands who
perform for Junkanoo rush the streets dressed in costumes hoping to win
thousands of dollars in prize money. Children have the pleasure of listening to music and
deciding which band deserves the top prize.

Join in the festivities by wearing a vibrant fuschia crystal dragonfly brooch or a Tibetan men's
bangle from Janeo Jewels.

We want to encourage you to sign up for a second chance to win one of our valuable prizes
during the 25 chances to win.

All you have to do is post a comment on this topic today and you’ll be entered a second time to
win the prize drawing for that day.

You’ll have 25 chances to win.

Congratulations to Angela Hughes and Giles Oliver, yesterday's winners.

Do you think your country has wacky/fun Christmas traditions? Do you have an idea for
presenting gifts of jewellery on Christmas Day?

Share it with us and your country or idea will be featured in the next post.

A Warm Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere

Australians celebrate Christmas in the heat of early summer and it has an impact on the way they celebrate Christmas.

At Christmas houses in Australia are decorated, greetings cards are sent out and the
usual carols sung. Christmas trees are put up in homes, schools and public places, and children anticipate Santa Claus. On Christmas Day family and friends gather to exchange gifts and enjoy special Christmas food.

Many Australians spend Christmas out of doors because of the heat.
It has become traditional for international visitors in Sydney to go to Bondi Beach where up to 40,000 people visit on Christmas Day.

Australian children grow up enjoying traditional Christmas stories such as Clement Clarke Moore's 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and Charles Dickens.' A Christmas
Carol, but children's authors and illustrators are beginning to create truly
Australian children's Christmas literature.

One favourite is Wombat Divine by Mem Fox and Aussie Night Before Christmas by Yvonne Morrison.

With just a few days left, everyone is beginning to get ready for the "silly season," as the children call it in Australia.

Everyone is busily planning Christmas break-up parties.
Children are writing letters to Santa Claus. Decorations are being set up. Shopping centres and malls are experiencing record breaking crowds.
In homes children are helping to decorate the family Christmas tree.

We have yet to follow the American ritual of getting "real" Christmas trees......though some do use gum tree branches.
Children are learning Christmas Carols so that they may be sung at festive occasions such as public "Carols by Candlelight" and school concerts.

Christmas stockings are being hung in homes....though fireplaces are in short supply. Cards galore are being written and posted.

Want a great stocking stuffer idea? How about a men's cross pendant. Part of the
Janeo Jewels Men's Silver Necklace collection. Or a funky bracelet with rectangular links.

Congratulations to Hani Wyatt (Surrey) and Julie Carne (Cambridge) yesterday's winners.

We want to encourage you to sign up for a second chance to win one of our valuable prizes during the 25 chances to win. All you have to do is post a comment on this topic today and you’ll be entered a second time to win the prize drawing for that day. You’ll have 25 chances to win.

Do you think your country has wacky/fun Christmas traditions? Do you have an idea for presenting gifts of jewellery on Christmas Day?

Share it with us and your country or idea will be featured in the next post.

Hollywood's Celebrities doing Halloween with funky jewellery

In LA anything goes. California seems to be the only state in the nation that plays by its own rules. Its citizens are eccentric, whimsical, individualistic and sometimes plain strange. And in a town full of actors, directors, writers, and musicians, the imbalance of normal and crazy must be the formula needed to remain creative. Everyone wears boots in the summer and shorts in the winter. Okay, so the weather does permit, but the nickname “La La land” is definitely fitting.
Halloween, the second largest retail holiday next to Christmas, allows Los Angeles to realign with the rest of the world. Because you see, while the rest of the world is venturing into the realm of the weird, grotesque, and all that is Halloween, Los Angeles has been in this state all year long. But don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that its citizens are not fashion forward. Shopping in LA is amazing. It is host to some of the best boutiques carrying men’s and women’s fashion belts, glass bead bracelets, and Swarovski crystals. However, California one-ups the rest of our states once again this Halloween through use of its celebrities. As they host parties and dress up in costumes that are just a little more outrageous than the rest of us.
Super sexy Victoria Secret angel Heidi Klum and husband Seal decided to spend their Halloween in NYC. They started the day off by strolling the streets of the Big Apple in costume. Well it least one of them. Seal wore a Barack Obama mask seemingly amusing to Heidi. Later that night, she hosted her Absolut 100 Party wearing a costume that outshined party goers everywhere. Painted in blue Heidi dressed as a witch doctor. Her head dress was bejeweled with stones matching her chandelier earrings and red eyes. She carried weapons and heads with her eight arms.
In Vegas celebrities continued the trend of being coupled up on the scariest night of the year. John Legend was there with his model girlfriend and Kim Kardashian attended the same party at PUR with NFLer Reggie Bush. Kim and Reggie dressed as 1950’s characters. She was a flapper covered in costume pearl jewellery, crystal bracelets and diamond earrings. Reggie was a 1950’s gangster, wearing 2008 canary diamond studs. I don’t think gangsters wore canary diamonds in the 1950’s. Let’s stick to the character. John Legend dressed up as a cowboy with moccasin clad girlfriend on his arm. Former Danity Kane member, Aubrey O’Day, also made her way to Las Vegas to host a “Halloween Night of Seduction” at Tabu Ultra Lounge. Aubrey dressed up as Disney mermaid Ariel. Surprisingly, her costume wasn’t as revealing and slutty as her reputation. Her reputation did get her kicked out of the girl group.
So as you see, the rest of the nation does align on Halloween. The stars travel to our cities, spread their quirkiness, craziness, and creativeness and we enjoy a taste of Hollywood every Halloween.

New attacks, turns & turn-outs for the Presidential Campaign

With Election Day two weeks away, the camps of Barack Obama
and John McCain scramble to obtain battle-ground states and
subsequently, the GOP ticket. The strategy set into play by
Barack Obama's camp last Monday was simple: Take advantage of
the current economic climate as it is one of the democratic
nominee's strengths, meaning, know the facts, highlight the
problems and present the solutions. Republican nominee John
McCain had a different agenda aimed at securing votes by
visiting southern states neglected by his campaign. With there
strategies outlined, is either candidate going to fulfill
their hopes of delivering an air tight campaign, one that is
definitive, sensible, and as sleek as a stainless steel
bracelet to become the missing link that America needs to
thrive.
Obama presented his new economic plan in Ohio. Perhaps this is
a follow-up to the second Presidential debate at Belmont
University where GOP hopeful suggested a notion to treat
victims of this economic crisis like investors. Specifically,
the plan will warrant the Federal Reserve and the Treasury to
provide government at the state and municipal level similar
aid as the federal bailout to the credit market. Also, under
this policy a temporary tax credit will be granted to firms
that create jobs in the United States for the next two years,
penalty free withdrawals from IRAs and 401ks in 2008 and 2009
for up to 15 percent or $10,000, and a temporary removal on
unemployment insurance benefits. A survey conducted by CNN and the Opinion Research Corporation on Tuesday reveal that 75% of voters believe that the country is in a recession, data which one could link to Obama's 9 percent lead in CNN's most recent poll.
While Barack Obama is detailing his economic plan in Ohio,
John McCain and Sarah Palin campaign in the southern states
Virginia and North Carolina once painted as red as the strips
on the American flag men's pendant proudly displayed on the
candidates. The McCain campaign has not invested financially
in some southern states because they are traditionally
republican. This has caused a shrinking gap between the
presidential candidates. Obama has made nine visits in North
Carolina and seven in Virginia, comparing to one stop in
Virginia and two in North Carolina by John McCain. A
considerable amount of spending has been made to establish
organization and support in these states; Obama spent
substantially more than McCain on staff, commercials, and
outnumbered him in the registration of new voters. In
September alone, Obama raised $150 million. The election is
two weeks away and Obama leads by 9 percent nationally
according to CNN polls. Will McCain's last minute efforts be
enough to keep them red? Will his choice in running mate
be an obstruction or his saving grace?
Sarah Palin has become a likeable candidate for some citizens.
Upon joining the Republican ticket, Palin's popularity was
reflected in retail. The sale of her rimless glasses
substantially grew. Next, sales of the gold and crystal brooch
she wears, and her many different designs of silver earrings,
diamond studs, and crystal bracelets will be flying off store
shelves. Still, Palin is drawing bigger crowds than McCain
where she lives up to her title as attack dog and pressures
the Democratic Party.
The next two weeks will be historical and it seems that John
McCain will have to make a choice- refocus his campaign on the
economy to increase his standings in numbers or continue on
the attack and hope it resides with the American people before
ballots are in. The political climate will surely have a rise
in temperature.