Christmas special

Good After Morning Bro, Merry Christmas! While you are avoiding family and friends, here is a quick newsletter to bring some extra conversation points to the family table - Cheers!

In Today's After-Morning 6 - 9:

• Christmas and TECH

• Capitalism loves Christmas

• Culture and Christmas

• Bro-Mas Approved Memes

TECH N XMAS

You can follow Santa's progress on Christmas with the help of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). This joint organization between the U.S. and Canada is responsible for monitoring the skies over both countries and is particularly tasked with tracking Santa's journey.

Here are some Trends that we are seeing this Christmas, these may seem obvious, but to others not so much.

• Wearable technology: Wearable technology, such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, has become a common part of daily life for many people. with an 18% increase in global spending compared to 2021. In particular, the focus is expected to be on healthcare and workplace-oriented technology. Investment in virtual, augmented, and mixed-reality technology is also expected to continue, leading to the development of new and advanced wearables.

• Voice search: The use of voice search technology, where users can perform searches and access information simply by speaking into a device, has grown significantly in recent years. In the US, 41% of adults use voice search at least once a day, and more than half of smartphone users engage with voice search on their devices. As voice search becomes available on a wider range of applications and devices, businesses are also adopting this trend. (My parents 🤝 part of this statistic)

• The integration of digital culture, or the incorporation of digital technologies and practices into everyday life, is a growing trend. This includes the use of social media, online shopping, and streaming services, as well as the integration of technology into traditional industries and practices. The pandemic has accelerated this trend, as people have turned to digital channels for communication, entertainment, and purchasing. You may have noticed how insanely accurate social ads are... it's not a coincidence 😳

Christmas and Capitalism - a Match made in heaven

It's no secret to us, "adults", that many joys in life cost a pretty penny, but placing specific numbers on those joys may be more eye-opening than one can imagine! Here are some figures tp breakdown Christmas by the numbers:

Top 11 Holiday Spending Statistics & Facts for 2022

• In 2021, the overall holiday spending in the US reached $886.7 billion.

• 68% of consumers expect higher prices for their holiday spending in 2022.

• The expected average holiday spending in 2022 will reach $1,802 per person.

• 51% of US consumers plan to buy fewer gifts this year than in 2021.

• Digital spending between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday increased by 19% since 2019.

• 40% of shoppers start buying Christmas presents before the end of October.

• Consumers received more than six billion out-of-stock messages during the 2021 holiday season.

• Online shopping accounted for 24.1% of total holiday spending in 2021.

• On average, men spend 10% more than women on holiday purchases

• The biggest online shopping day in American history was Cyber Monday in 2020 ($10.8 billion online)

• The highest-spending Americans over the winter holidays are aged 45-54.

This Chart shows us: Roughly how much money Americans anticipated that they will personally spend on Christmas gifts this year: With this year expected to be an average of $867 (per above, they spent more)- if you don't think we're in a bubble look at that!

With Lebanon at the top of this chart, I would like to apologize for to my Lebanese friends for not getting you anything this christmas...but statically speaking, where's my gift Habibi?

Christmas in Different Cultures

In Japan, KFC is a major player on Christmas Day. Like, they sell 5-10 times more chicken than usual. And it's been that way since the mid-80s. How wild is that? I mean, I love me some KFC, but on Christmas? That's next level. And get this, they even have life-size statues of Colonel Sanders dressed as Santa to welcome customers. I'm not even kidding. And apparently, lines for KFC on Christmas start on Dec 23rd. Can you even imagine? I mean, I'm all for getting that fried chicken fix, but waiting in line for hours on Christmas Eve? No thanks. But hey, to each their own, right?

While many children around the world are looking forward to Santa coming to town, the children of Austria and Germany have their eyes peeled for "Krampus": Krampus is a traditional figure in Christmas celebrations in Austria and Germany. He is a creature who visits children alongside St. Nicholas to either reward or punish them for their behavior. The Krampus tradition includes "Krampusnacht" when adults might dress up as Krampus to scare children at their homes, and Krampuslauf, a "Krampus run" in which men dress up as the creature and run through the streets, often while drunk (sign me up). These traditions are still practiced today and are an important part of Christmas celebrations in these countries.

In Italian folklore, the Befana is a Witch who delivers gifts to children on the night of Epiphany Eve (January 5). The Feast of the Epiphany is celebrated on January 6 as a national holiday in Italy & the tradition of La Befana is a big part of Italian Christmas Celebrations. The Befana is typically depicted as an old woman riding a broomstick and carrying a bag or hamper filled with gifts or candy. Legend has it that the Befana was approached by the Three Wise Men seeking directions to the newborn Jesus, but declined to join them on their journey and instead set out to find Jesus herself. To this day, the Befana is said to be searching for the baby Jesus and leaves gifts for children as a way of honoring him.

In Greece, Christmas Eve is traditionally marked by children singing carols and playing drums and triangles, and they may be rewarded with money and treats if they sing well (I would not be rewarded). A traditional decoration is a wooden bowl with a basil sprig wrapped around a wooden cross, which is dipped in holy water and used to sprinkle water in each room of the house to keep away bad spirits. Christmas-decorated ships are popular, and Midnight Mass is an important event for many Greeks. On New Year's Day, children receive gifts and money from adults in a tradition known as Bounamathes.

• In Czech tradition, unmarried women throw a shoe over their shoulder on Christmas, and the direction it points determines whether they will be married within the year.

• If the shoe lands with the toe pointing towards the door, the woman is said to be likely to marry within the year. If the shoe points in the opposite direction, the woman is expected to remain single forever. (I tried it out this morning, it's not looking good)

BRO-MAS approved Memes

Thank you for reading, but more importantly, thank you for being you. We hope you found this edition informative and enjoyable. Be sure to follow us on social media for even more Culture, Tech, and Business insights and updates @TheMorningBro

Bro-sclaimer: The opinions and info in this newsletter are for informational purposes only and do not constitute endorsement or recommendation of any company or product. As tech-savvy bros, you know the drill: Do your own research before making any investment decisions. Don't be a dummy, Bro.