Christmas traditions

I have just read an article on share-christmas.com and it talks about the different Christmas traditions.

It talks about that in China Christians decorate their homes with colourful paper lanterns and that the people there go to work or school on Christmas day.
It's also said that most of the chinese people are Buddhists and that Christmas festivities are becoming more and more.

It also talks about the Spain traditions. After the Christmas Mass people sing and dance on the streets. The Christmas dinner is eaten after midnight and there they eat "Pavo Trufado de Navidad". It's also said that instead of Father Christmas the Three Wise Men bring the presents.

I also read an article about the traditions in Hungary. It is said that the children became a visit by Mikulas on December 6th. On Christmas eve the children are allowed to see the tree for the first time, then when a bell is rung they go into the room, where the tree is and they see the presents there. They have been put there by the angels.

KTM on loss-making off-road trip

I read an article the other day in the online version of "austriantimes.at" and it talks about the Upper Austrian motorcycle and off-road vehicle maker KTM.


I thought you might be interested because KTM is an Upper Austrian company.

Basically what it says is that the turnover of the company fell by 24.9 per cent from 605.7 million euros to 454.6 million euros. It said that business in North America, KTM's biggest market shrank by 44 per cent and the european market contracted by a fifth.

I also said that the Mattighofen-based company dismissed 450 employees while 773 staff were put into a part-time scheme and that KTM planned to keep the part-time model running longer, but they ended it as orders grew faster.

What surprised me most was the fact that the company dismissed 450 employees and that the market in Europe contracted by a fifth and that the turnover fell by 24.9 per cent.


If you want to see the original text click here.



words:

to shrink (sinken): If something is getting lower it shrinks.
to contract (verkleinern): It's a synonym for shrink.
to dismiss (entlassen): If you don't need an employe you dismiss him.
staff (Mitarbeiter): People, who work in a company.
part-time scheme (Kurzarbeit): If the staff works shorter than usual than they are in a part-time scheme.