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Monthly Archives: December 2021

Hello 2022: Interesting New Year’s Eve Traditions

 

2021 was a rough year for most of us, and no one is sad to see it end. We’ve compiled a list of interesting New Year’s Eve traditions about one of the most celebrated holidays of the year!

6 New Year’s Eve Traditions

The first New Year’s celebration dates back 4,000 years. Julius Caesar, the emperor of Rome, was the first to declare January 1st as a national holiday. He named the month after Janus, the Roman god of doors and gates. Janus had two faces looking opposite ways, one looking towards the past and one looking towards the future.

Forty-five percent of Americans make New Year’s resolutions. The top resolutions are: to lose weight, get organized, to spend less and save more, to stay fit and healthy, and to quit smoking. While nearly half of all Americans make resolutions, 25 percent of them will give up by the second week of January.

Eat leafy greens on New Year’s. According to tradition, the more leafy greens a person eats, the more prosperity they will experience. Tradition also says that legumes bring prosperity due to beans and peas resembling coins.

Fun fact: In Spain, people eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight. The grapes represent the 12 months of the year.

Many people ring in the New Year’s by popping a bottle of champagne. Americans drink close to 360 million glasses of sparkling wine during the holiday. 

If you have a little too much champagne, AAA offers a Holiday Safe Ride Program.

About 1 million people gather in New York City’s Times Square to watch the ball drop. The Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop came about because of a ban on fireworks. The first ball in 1907 was 700 pounds and was lit with 100 25-watt lights. Today it is covered in 2,688 crystals, is lit by 32,000 LED lights, weighs 11,875 pounds and is 12 feet in diameter.

In a pre-covid world, nearly 1 million spectators would fill Times Square to watch the ball drop. This year, a masked and vaccinated crowd of roughly 15,000 will be in attendance for the annual event.

According to the National Crime Bureau, more vehicles are stolen or broken into than any other holiday. The most popular day for car theft is January 1st. In 2018, 2,571 cars were getting broken in to on the first day of year.

The Hugg & Hall family wishes you a safe and happy New Year!

 

Employee Spotlight: Luke Benson

Meet Luke Benson!

Luke was born and raised in Perth, located in the western territory of Australia. After coming to the United States for vacation and spending several months traveling, they decided to make the move to Fort Smith, Arkansas, where his wife once visited to meet a pen pal she was paired up with while in school. 

Luke has been a part of Hugg & Hall since July of this year- entering the role of Inside Rental Sales. He can be seen as somewhat of an expert in the rental industry, as he worked for a rental company in Australia for 15 years. In a typical day, Luke can be seen taking orders from customers and our Outside Rental Sales team while interacting with any walk-in customers that may come in. Luke considers himself a people person, getting to interact with new people and customers daily while building relationships is the highlight of his workday! 

In his free time, Luke enjoys playing golf, listening to live music, and spending time with his family! Something many people may not know is that he can surf and play guitar. You could classify Luke as some what of a world traveler as well, he has visited beautiful places such as Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia.

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough”

The next time you visit our Fort Smith branch say ‘hello’ to Luke! To get to know some of our other Hugg & Hall teammates, check out our other employee spotlights.

Winter Road Hazards

As the weather cools off, winter road hazards arrive. Cooler, damper weather and shorter days encourage wildlife to travel across roadways, and wet roads can freeze. Our HSE Safety Specialist provided us with this list of tips to lower your chances of getting into a car accident, and we want to share it with you! 

Want more information? Download our complete guide to winter construction site prep!

Wildlife Safety Tips

  • In winter, deer and other wildlife are more active in the early- to mid-morning hours and from late-afternoon through dusk. 
  • Hunting season can force wildlife out of their natural habitat towards roadways and populated areas. Always scan the roadways for deer. 
  • Slow down if you are traveling a route where deer are often present or deer crossing signs are posted. 
  • If an animal runs in front of your vehicle, brake and do not swerve. Attempting to miss the animal is more dangerous. Swerving can cause collisions with other drivers or cause you to drive into a ditch or tree. 

Winter Weather Safety Tips

  • If roadways are wet from rain, snow, sleet, ice, etc., you should increase your following distance from other cars. You should be approximately four car lengths from the car in front of you, double your standard following distance. 
  • The time change during Daylight Savings can result in driver fatigue. Plan accordingly and get plenty of rest.
  • Your tire pressure will drop as the temperature does. Fill your tires to the manufacturer’s recommended pressure (located on the driver’s side door frame). It’s a good idea to inspect your tires at least once a month.
  • Keep your gas tank close to full. If you have an electric vehicle, plug it in at night to keep the battery temperature within optimal ranges. 
  • If you need to break suddenly, you should be aware of whether or not you have antilock brakes. If you do, apply firm, continuous pressure to the brake pedal. If you don’t have antilock brakes, you may need to pump your brakes if your wheels start to lock up. 
  • Stock your vehicle in case of emergency. Kits can include water, nutritious snacks, blankets, a flashlight, an ice scraper/snow brush, and more. 

Even if you do not drive a company vehicle, weather conditions and wildlife can affect you. Incorporating these tips into your daily drives can make for safer roadways!

Have additional questions? Contact us! Interested in learning more about keeping your team safe and your equipment in tip-top shape? Download our complete Winter Prep Guide! 

 

Want more winter weather tips and tricks? Check out our resources section! 

This article was originally published in December 2021. We updated it for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness in January 2023.