WELCOME... THIS IS CHRISTMAS!!! CELEBRATIONS IN THE USA!!!

Welcome everybody to this new entry of Montcada in English - Christmas Edition! Today I'd love to talk about the Christmas celebrations in the United States, because it doesn't matter if you live in Europe, Asia, South America or Africa, everybody knows more or less about how crazy the people in America become with this festivity. I'd like to make myself clear, I'm not going to talk about the religious traditions. Christmas in America is observed on the 25th of December just like the rest of the countries where it is celebrated.

The festive season traditionally begins on the fourth Thursday in November, just after the Thanksgiving holiday. On  Thanksgiving Day, a spectacular parade is taken out in New York City that has the smiling figure of Santa Claus participating in it. It indicates the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Department stores, shopping malls and small shops ready themselves appropriately for the season to attract shoppers and get them to spend quite a few bucks on Christmas trees, gifts, apparels, greeting cards and suchlike.

Black Friday – The day after Thanksgiving – marks the beginning of the Christmas Season

In the final days leading to December 25, small evergreen trees are seen to be established in every home and beautifully decorated with colored lights, tinsel, angels, stars and bright ornaments. The exterior of almost every house and the adjoining shrubbery is adorned with strands of electric lights. Strings of electric lights are used not only to adorn mantles and doorways, rafters, roof lines, and porch railings of individual homes but also of public/commercial buildings, departmental stores and even business hubs. Christmas trees are also seen to be set up in most of these places. It is often a pastime for the American people to drive or walk around neighborhoods in the Christmas evenings to see the lights displayed on and around other homes. Those with deep pockets are often found to place life-sized, illuminated Santas, reindeers and snowmen on their lawns and roofs. Many churches and private homes display illuminated Nativity Scenes commemorating the humble birth of Jesus Christ. The most famous Christmas street lights in the USA are at the Rockerfeller Center in New York where there is a huge Christmas Tree with a public ice skating rink in front of it over Christmas and the New Year.

Typical Christmas decoration

Rockefeller Center, NYC

Christmas Eve is not an official holiday. Hence most people have to work. However, many workplaces hold Christmas parties or celebrations, so there is a celebratory air to the day. For kids, it is a day of great joy since most schools and other educational establishments are usually closed. In the evening, most people add final touches to their home decorations. Many also set up the Christmas tree in their homes on this day. Many organizations and department stores are usually open for last minute Christmas shoppers, but may close earlier. In New England (the American States of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine), there are shops called 'Christmas Shops' that only sell Christmas decorations and toys all the year round. Many people travel to visit family members or friends on Christmas Eve. Some people, especially Roman Catholics, attend a Midnight Mass service at church and participate in singing carols. Traditionally, the midnight mass starts at midnight, the point of transition from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day. Many Protestant churches also hold special services on Christmas Eve, complete with displays of beautiful manger scenes and candle-lit religious observances.

Christmas shop in Boston

The Christmas dinner in the U.S. includes turkey or ham, potatoes and pie. Cakes are of course, a must for the occasion. The menu also consists of a lot of desserts such as the Crostoli, a fried bread spiced with orange peel (as made in Italian-American communities) or the Pfeffernuesse, a bread full of sweet spices (eaten by German-Americans) or the Berlinerkranser - a Norwegian wreath-shaped cookie. Baked breads and cookies are also part of the dinner list. At Christmas Eve gatherings adults drink eggnog, a drink made of cream, milk, sugar, beaten eggs and brandy or rum.

Typical Christmas dinner

After dinner on Christmas Eve, children go to bed early but not before hanging up their stockings on the fireplace or the end of their bed to be filled with gifts and goodies by Santa Claus. On the following morning, children wake up to look for their desired items in their stockings and also find nicely wrapped presents under their Christmas tree.

This is basically some of the most common traditions that people do in America to celebrate Christmas. What do you do in your country? Are there some similar traditions? I hope as every single time, you guys have enjoyed my post!

C Ya!

WELCOME... THIS IS VOCABULARY!!! MOST COMMON BUSINESS IDIOMS, PART 3!!!

Hi everybody and welcome to this new entry of Montcada in English. As many of you know English is the main language in business world nowadays. It is well known that for negotiations is important to speak in a correct and polite way but sometimes there are some expressions that are used to explain in a more colloquial way without being informal, a specific situation. Those common expressions are known as Idioms. This is the third part of the most common business idioms list. Enjoy it!

IDIOM	WHAT IT MEANS		EXAMPLES
hands are tied		If you do not have any control over a situation, your "hands are tied."		I would love to get you a job at my company, but my hands are tied. Management isn't hiring any additional employees this year.
have someone's work cut out		If you have a lot of work to do or a particularly difficult assignment, you "have your work cut out for you."		She has to sell $35,000 worth of products by the end of the month. She has her work cut out for her.
hit the nail on the head		To "hit the nail on the head" means to do or say something 100% correctly.		I agree with John 100%. I think he really hit the nail on the head.
in a nutshell		"In a nutshell" means in a few words.		In a nutshell, this book is about how to motivate employees.
in full swing		If a project is "in full swing," it means that it has been completely started and that it is progressing or moving as fast as it ever will.		Construction on the new site is in full swing now.
in the black		If a company is "in the black," it means that they are making a profit.		We're not having a great year, but at least we're in the black.
in the driver's seat		To be ¨in the driver´s seat¨ means to be in control.		I'm not used to being in the driver's seat. I should probably buy some management books.
in the red		If a company is "in the red," it means that they are not profitable and are operating at a loss.		When I started my own business, we were in the red for the first two years. We didn't see a profit until the third year.
keep your eye on the ball		To "keep your eye on the ball¨ means to focus and concentrate on what you want to achieve.		I know we can do it. We just need to keep our eye on the ball and not lose our focus.
last straw		The "last straw" means the last annoyance, disturbance, or betrayal which causes someone to give up, lose his or her patience, or become very angry.		Our boss was unhappy with Brian's performance for a while, but when he came to work three hours late without calling, it was the last straw.
learn the ropes		To "learn the ropes¨means to learn the basics of something.		I like my new position. I´m starting to learn the ropes.
long shot		A "long shot" is something that has a very low probability of happening.		Winning the lottery is a long shot, but millions of people still buy lottery tickets.
loophole		A legal "loophole" occurs If a law is unclear or omits information. This lack of legal clarity allows people or corporations to take advantage of the situation and pay less in taxes or gain some other advantage.		Some people complain that millionaires avoid paying taxes by finding loopholes in tax laws.
lose ground (opposite is to "gain ground")		To "lose ground" means to lose some type of an advantage (market share, for example) to a competitor.		Apple lost some ground to Samsung last quarter.
lose-lose situation (also called a "no-win situation")		A "lose-lose situation" is when someone has to choose between various options and all the options are bad.		It's a lose-lose situation. If they lay off more workers, they'll get bad press. If they don't lay off more workers, they won't be able to compete.
nine-to-five		A "nine-to-five" is a job during normal working hours. The term came into existence because many work days start at 9 AM and end at 5 PM.		She was tired of working a nine-to-five job, so she took her savings and started a restaurant.
no brainer		If a decision is really obvious or really easy to make, the decision is a "no brainer."		Taking the new job was a no brainer. They offered me more money, a better schedule, and more vacation days.
no strings attached		If something is given without expecting anything in return, it is given with "no strings attached."		They will let you try the product for free with no strings attached. If you don't like it, there is no pressure to buy it or give them anything in return.
no time to lose		If there is "no time to lose," it means that there is a lot of pressure to complete something quickly.		I told them I'd send the email by the end of the day and it's already 4:45. I need to get to work. There's no time to lose.
not going to fly		If a solution isn't effective, people say that it "isn't going to fly."		I don't think that idea's going to fly. Let's keep generating ideas.
off the top of one's head		If someone says something "off the top of his or her head," it means that he or she gives a response without thinking about it for a long time or doing any research on the subject.		I have no idea how many branches they have. Off the top of my head, I'd say about 20.
on a roll		If someone is "on a roll," it means that he or she has had several successes in a row.		Our profits have been above our projected numbers for five months in a row. We're really on a roll.
on the ball		To be "one the ball" means to be alert and aware of things.		My new personal assistant is working out well. He's really on the ball.
on the same page page		If two people are "on the same page," they are in agreement about something.		Let's go over the details of what we agreed on just to make sure that we're on the same page.
on top of something		To be "on top of something" means to be in control of a situation and aware of changes.		I read a lot to stay on top of the latest changes in my industry.

WELCOME... THIS IS VOCABULARY!!! MOST COMMON BUSINESS IDIOMS, PART 2!!!

Hi everybody and welcome to this new entry of Montcada in English. As many of you know English is the main language in business world nowadays. It is well known that for negotiations is important to speak in a correct and polite way but sometimes there are some expressions that are used to explain in a more colloquial way without being informal, a specific situation. Those common expressions are known as Idioms. This is the second part of the most common business idioms list. Enjoy it!

IDIOM	WHAT IT MEANS	EXAMPLES

diamond in the rough	A "diamond in the rough" is something or someone that has a lot of potential but first requires a lot of work.	He was a diamond in the rough. He was really intelligent and had great ideas, but his management and English skills weren't very good.
easy come, easy go	"Easy come, easy go," is an expression used to communicate that something gained easily is also lost easily. We use this expression after something has been lost.	A lot of people who inherit money waste it on stupid things. I guess it's easy come, easy go.
fifty-fifty	"Fifty-fifty" means something is divided equally -- 50% for one person, 50% for the other person.	My business partner and I split everything fifty-fifty.
from the ground up	If you start a business, project, or something else from zero, you start it "from the ground up."	Bill Gates built Microsoft from the ground up.
game plan	A ¨game plan¨ is a strategy or plan.	They're not sure what their game plan is for the upcoming election.
get back in/into the swing of things	To "get back in/into the swing of things" means to get used to doing something after you have had a break from that activity.	Our company shuts down operations for three weeks during the holiday season. When I go back to work in January, it's always difficult to get back in the swing of things.
get down to business	To "get down to business" means to stop making small talk and start talking about serious topics related to business.	Well, everyone's here, and I know everyone is very busy. So, let's get down to business and talk about the proposal.
get something off the ground	To "get something off the ground" means to start a project or business.	We're very glad that the planning process is over. We're looking forward to getting the project off the ground.
get the ball rolling	To "get the ball rolling¨means to start something (a work project, for example).	We really need to get the ball rolling on this project. The deadline is in June, and it's already April.
get/be on the good side of someone	If someone likes you, you are "on the good side" of that person.	I always remember my coworkers' birthdays and get them a card or small gift. I like to get on people's good side.
get/have foot in the door	To "get or have your foot in the door" means to take a low-level position with a company with the goal of eventually getting a better position with the same company in the future.	My son just took a low-paying internship position with a large company. He was happy to get his foot in the door at a well-known, respected company.
give someone a pat on the back	To "give someone a pat on the back" means to tell someone that he or she did a good job.	The boss gave Brian a pat on the back for coming up with such a good idea.
give something/someone the thumbs down	To "give something or someone the thumbs down" means to deny approval.	I can't believe she gave us the thumbs down. I thought it was a great idea.
give something/someone the thumbs up	To "give something or someone the thumbs up" means to approve.	They gave our new proposal the thumbs up. We're going out to celebrate tonight.
go broke	To "go broke" means to go bankrupt or to lose all the money a person or business had.	There was too much competition and their expenses were too high. They eventually went broke.
go down the drain	When you waste or lose something, it is said to "go down the drain."	He dropped out of college in his third year and never continued his studies. All of his hard work and money went down the drain.
go the extra mile	To "go the extra mile" means to do more than what people expect of you.	We go the extra mile for our customers. If someone is dissatisfied with a purchase, we refund their money and offer them a discount on their next purchase.
go through the roof	If something is ¨going through the roof,¨ it means it is increasing very quickly.	We're really happy that our number of Facebook followers has gone through the roof.
gray area	If something is in a ¨gray area¨ it means that it is something undefined that is not easily categorized.	I asked our lawyers if it was legal, and they said it wasn't clear. It's in a gray area.
ground-breaking	If something is ¨ground-breaking¨ it means it is new and innovative.	The iPhone was a ground-breaking piece of technology when it was released in 2008.