ISSUE 108 | DEC 2024

December is here with our 108th edition of the MBE Business Magazine.

As we head into our last month of 2024, November has left us with pretty much what was promised. Seasonal temperatures, no hint of snow. Mixture of sun, clouds and rain. December will probably give us a mixed bag of precipitation as well and the only real question is: will it be cold enough for the snow to accumulate and stay on the ground. Only four months until spring!

Some important days for the month of December are as follows: The winter solstice, occurs around December 21 or 22 in the Northern Hemisphere. It will happen on Saturday 21 at 11.19 p.m. In Canada and other parts of the northern hemisphere the winter solstice is traditionally the first day of winter.

Amidst the chilly winter days, Christmas Eve arrives each year on December 24th, warming our hearts and souls with a sense of wonder. This magical evening fills the air with hope and excitement. Streets shimmer with twinkling lights, beautifully decorated to mark the joyous beginning of the Christmas celebration. As the day before the holidays, many workplaces host Christmas parties or allow their employees to leave work early. While stores typically remain open, their hours may vary, with grocery stores often closing early. This makes Christmas Eve a popular time for last-minute holiday shopping. Churches hold Christmas Eve candlelit or midnight services.

Christmas Day is celebrated on December 25. Christmas is a religious, cultural and commercial holiday, a day when most people spend time with family and friends, exchanging gifts and sharing meals. It is a federal holiday - most shops and businesses are closed.

Hanukkah, also known as Chanukah is a Jewish festival lasting eight days. In the Hebrew calendar, Hanukkah starts on the 25th of Kislev. In 2024, the first day of Hanukkah begins at sundown on Wednesday, December 25th, and ends at sundown on Thursday, January 2nd, 2025.

Boxing Day falls the day after Christmas Day, and so it is most often December 26th. As such it is part of the Christmas celebration and the ongoing festivities. An important part of Boxing Day now is the Boxing Day sales which are a continuation of sales from retailers that start from Black Friday right through to Boxing Day.

New Year's Eve, December 31, is a major celebration across the world. Although New Year's Day is a federal holiday, New Year's Eve is not, so most businesses will operate holiday working hours. Families and friends travel to be together.

In this issue, you will find contributing articles from many different personalities including the MBE team of - Mr. Mansoor Naqvi, Minhal Naqvi and Mr. Alamdar Hussain.

You will find this issue just as interesting and informative as before. Our team has worked tirelessly to bring this issue to you on our digital and social media platforms. We have also launched our magazine website, enabling us to reach the maximum number of people via electronic media.