Sister, partners in crime

Sisters are like a chameleon, who changes color of life by displaying many shades of happiness, love and care. She has been there with you during all the ups and downs of childhood and maybe even into adulthood as a best friend. Having a sister with you is like having a best friend. Having a sister is always full of surprises. It's about having a companion, a mentor and student simultaneously, someone to share your chocolates and chips as they know when a crisp packet opens!

Sisters are like the soft pillow on which you lay your head before go to sleep. They are someone with whom you can share your secrets, someone to talk to when there's nobody else, and someone who can always be depended on to laugh at your horrible jokes or laugh at you for that matter. Sisters care for you like mother, reprimand you like father, listen to you like your best friend and fight with you like brother. She is your ideal crime partner. Sisters, they are half a mother and half a friend.

Having a sister always gives you a feeling that there will always be someone who will love you unconditionally and protects you. With whom you can have endless arguments on silly topics. Sister how much you say hate them but deep inside your heart you know how much you love them. She helps you to grow, she sticks by you in every difficult situation, understands you and motivates you when you give up badly.

She is always forgiving and loving. She fulfils her duty with great joy. She behaves in very responsible manner when it comes about siblings. She forgets all her desires and wishes to give you a better life. She take care of your every small wish whether it's about chocolate or icecream on a bright sunny day or watching a horror movie sitting by your side so you don't feel scary.Your sister will likely be with you for some of your best memories in life!

She makes everything perfect! She holds you tightly whenever you feel lost. Love her give her personalized gift items as giving gifts is a language of love. Tell her that you just felt like showing some gratitude for all the time she has supported you and been there for you. Your lovely note will become a keepsake that your sister will hold close to her heart for a lifetime. The priceless value of the special bond between sisters is realized only in hindsight. So don't worry if you are distant apart Bloomsvilla provides you an online service to send flowers to Bangalore and makes your bond even more stronger. As the sentiment behind giving flowers, is a wonderful feeling to know someone cares enough about you to give you a flower.

7 Best cakes for your best friends from around the world

Cakes are the most sumptuous food item ever invented on this earth. They suit any occasion and are the best items for merry-making. They are cost effective and one can always get it customized the way he/she wants. Perhaps this is the only food item in the world with so many variety of flavors.

Here’s a list of the traditional cakes from around the globe which you can bake at home or order online for a celebration.

1.      BLACK FOREST CHERRY CAKE from Germany

One of the most popular cakes all over the world is the black forest. It’s said that originally Black Forest cake was invented in Switzerland but it the Germans who perfected it. It basically belongs to the South West region of Germany which is known as Black Forest region. It is a heavenly cake with layers of chocolate cake separated by cherries and whipped cream. Get online cake deliveryin Chennai and let your friend be mesmerized in this awesome cake.

2.      MOCHI from Japan: 

It’s a sort of a New Year cake as believed in Japan. It is made out of rice paste and often mixed into various add on flavors. Traditionally, the New Year is celebrated with this cake but it is also available all the year round.

3.      MAWA CAKE from India: Mawa is solidified milk which is prepared by slow cooking of milk. Now this mawa is mixed with almonds, cardamoms, or cashews. This is a very special dish made by the Iranis of Mumbai and every restaurant of Mumbai run by the Iranis have this item.

4.      PAVLOVA from Oceania: This cake is dedicated to the famous Russian ballet artist Anna Pavlova. There’s always a fight between the Aussies and the Kiwis regarding the origin of this cake. But popular beliefs say that this meringue cake was created on Pavlova’s visit to New Zealand. This cake is cooked in many ways but always it is garnished with kiwis and strawberries.

5.      DUNDEE CAKE from Scotland: Scotland is usually known as the land of cakes which is a phrase popularized by the poet Robert Fergusson. The traditional cake consumed mostly is the Scotland oatmeal cake. But the Dundee cake is the one that can be called an identity of Scotland. It is very rich in flavor due to addition of raisins, dry fruits, and of course Scottish whiskey. Get this cake for your friend by online cake delivery to Chennai.

6.      PANETTONE from Italy: Panettone is a kind of sweet loaf from North of Italy. It mostly has the qualities of a bread and the texture is not as smooth as a cake. But it is the traditional dessert cake for Christmas and New Year served with hot chocolate or liquors.

7.      GALETTE DES ROIS from France: Plain translation of this word means King’s Cake. It has a bread toast like look and generally kept for the time after Christmas till the first week of January.  

Anniversaries for wonderful memories

Wedding anniversaries are annually recurring celebrations of the wedding day. They are a celebration of another year together on the journey of life. And there are also many potential benefits of celebrating anniversaries. It brings couple more close together and creates new memories at the same time.
Wedding anniversaries come every year; they are annually recurring celebrations of the wedding day. For every human being, his or her wedding day is one of the most memorable and significant moment in life. A wedding symbolize the union of two souls, it is a transition from a single carefree individual to a responsible adult couple. It symbolizes a partnership for life with duty and care for one another. From the wedding day onward a person gets committed to another for the rest of their lives sharing both joys and sorrow together. And a wedding anniversary is a celebration of one of the most important moments in their lives.

People always remember the significant moments in their relationship like the first time they met their partners or the time they both fall in love but it is not often they get to celebrate them. A wedding anniversary is an excellent opportunity to reminisce on those wonderful moments and celebrate them. Anniversaries are landmark occasions and important milestones in the lives of a couple. It is a celebration of another year together on the journey of life.
There are also many potential benefits of celebrating anniversaries. What every woman want more than anything else is to feel wonderful herself. She wants to be reassured that her husband loves her more than anybody else and that she is the most important person in his life. An anniversary provides a wonderful opportunity for a husband to convey those feelings. This also goes for the wife too; she can show her partner that he means the world to her and express her love wholeheartedly on their anniversary. Celebrating anniversaries can help strengthen relationships as taking time together to enjoy will bring the couple closer. Spending quality time with each other will spark old memories and also make new ones. Relations rely closely on memories and anniversaries are sure time to guarantee them.

So on the occasion of your anniversary this year, think of the ways you can enjoy the day and spend quality time together. Make him or her feel special and convey your love with a heartfelt gift. And for an important occasion like this,  personalized anniversary gifts are an ideal choice. Customized gifts make the recipient feel more special with the time and care you have invested in creating a wonderful and special gift for them. Nowadays finding the right gifts for customization is a simple affair with the coming of the internet and there are a plethora of sites offering personalized gifts in India.

Inception of gifting flowers

One of the toughest thing to do is to communicate human emotions and it is best done with flowers. Flowers can be given to people at the time of celebrations, parties or for seeking an apology or making someone’s day beautiful. Flowers have been in use as perfect gifts from time immemorial, be it gifting it to your friend, relatives, sibling, wife, girlfriend and mother amongst others. Thy have brightened up and added meaning to occasions and people.

The significance of gifting flowers dates back to the time of ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. People belonging to these places believed that the best and the most suitable way of communicating with perfect expressions was with the help of flowers. In fact, Greek mythology consists of excerpts which clearly shows that certain flowers were considered to be the clear representation of gods and goddesses.

The tradition of gifting flowers were passed to the generations and the tradition was held strong with each passing year. The tradition of assigning meaning to the flowers goes to the Europeans. Every flower with a different color manifested different meanings which is why people became cautious while selecting flowers for their loved ones so that it could reflect the correct meaning to the recipient.

Gifting flowers gained prominence during the Victorian era when exhibiting emotions were considered to be offensive. Hence, people gifted flowers to express the subtle emotions they have for them. There were rules which one should abide by while gifting flowers to someone and these rules were made by the Victorian times. Red roses were symbolic of love but if the same red roses were given upside down it was a manifestation of anger.

If you go by the popularly held custom then it was a long held belief that flowers were supposed to given by men to women but nowadays, the trend has changed and the same flowers are given by woman to men during several occasion. Earlier you had to physically meet a florist to get a bouquet made but now everything can be done at the convenience of your home.  You can get an online delivery of flower the same day with the flexible delivery options that are available in online stores.

Through advancement in technology you not only get the advantage of ordering everything with a simple click but also get the chance to send flowers to Ahmedabad and any other destination of your choice. All the flowers that are delivered are beautifully arranged by the florists and are delivered fresh at the doorstep. They are also hand wrapped by the experts to ensure that each and every bloom is perfect and is delivered in pristine conditions. You even get the chance to choose from a whole new variety of options that are there with us. Online flower delivery can also be done to several international destinations which has made sending flowers to your loved ones quite easy.

Diwali Decorative items for corporate gifting

Diwali is an important festival of this country which also marks the beginning of the Indian New Year. The festival is celebrated to mark the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile and it signifies the victory of light over darkness. On the occasion of Diwali, one can see whole towns, cities and villages all over the country lit up in bright lights. And thus Diwali is also popularly known as the festival of lights. 

Diwali falls in the month of Kartik of the Hindu calendar and the occasion is considered auspicious for the purchase of new things and launching business ventures. On the day of the festival, people also perform poojas and prayer ceremonies for the gods and goddesses and seek their divine blessings for a prosperous future.

One of the most important traditions of the festival is the decorations of homes and surroundings. Diwali decorations are an integral part of festival traditions and reparations for the festival start weeks and even months in advance. People clean up their homes and surroundings, and do new paint jobs for the walls and houses to fill them with bright and colorful rangoli patterns for Diwali. Rangoli stickers, wall hangings and traditional diyas and metallic lamps filled with oil are the most popular Diwali Decorative items . People spare no effort in decorating their houses and premises with lavish decors and radiant designs.  

Diwali is probably the biggest and the most popular festival of the country, and people all over the country celebrate the festival with lots of enthusiasm and joy. It is only a once in a year occasion and everyone eagerly waits for the occasion. Other major features of Diwali celebrations are firecrackers, sweets and the exchange of gifts.  The exchange of gifts is a long standing festival tradition and they signify goodwill and best wishes for the New Year. In India, many companies present gifts to their employees and clients on the occasion of the festival. Diwali decorative items also make ideal gifts and they are the most preferred Diwali gifts for corporate.

Origins of ceremonial cakes

Cakes have been used in ceremonies and rituals from time immemorial. Many ancient civilizations made cakes but they were very different from the cakes we know today. The word “Cake” is derived from the Norse word "kaka" which is of Viking origin. Cakes in its modern form arrived in the 19th century with rapid advancements in baking techniques and introduction of new equipments. Considered as a novelty before, cakes are now the most popular food for all the masses.

A popular food item all around the world is cakes.  They also have a long history of association with human traditions and culture. Cakes have been used in ceremonies and rituals from time immemorial in different cultures and societies. People have learnt to make cakes ever since the dawn of civilization. The discovery of flour is synonymous with the beginnings of cakes. Neolithic men made simple cakes made from crushed grains which were heated on a stone. In the olden times, cakes were used as offerings to gods and spirits in rituals and religious ceremonies. The ancient Chinese prepared round cakes during the Harvest Moon festival in honor of the lunar god. The Celts also prepared round cakes which they rolled down a hill in imitation of the solar cycle, on the occasion of Beltane.  The Greeks used to call cakes by the name of “plakous” which also came to be known as “placenta,” during the Roman period. They were flat cakes made with nuts and dry fruits, and primarily used in religious ceremonies as offerings to their gods. The word “Cake” is derived from the Norse word "kaka" which is of Viking origin and the Oxford English Dictionary traces the origin of the word back to the 13th century.

But the cakes of the ancient times were very different from the cakes that we know of today. The cakes were more on the bread side, and the only marked difference between bread and cakes was cakes were sweetened instead. The ancient Egyptians are considered to be the first culture to show evidence of advanced baking skills but there cakes were also filled with dry fruits and sweetened with honey instead of sugar.  The precursors of modern cakes originated from Europe around the middle of the 17th century where the bakers used to make cakes that even lasted for months. Cakes in its modern form arrived only in the middle of the 19th century with rapid advancements in baking techniques and introduction of new equipment.

Cakes were an exclusive item in the old days. The high costs of ingredients and production made cakes unreachable from the masses. They were a privilege of the rich and upper class only. After the industrial revolution, food grain production increased and the price of ingredients also went down. And with rapid advances in technology, new methods and equipment's for baking were introduced which led to an increased production of cakes. A wide variety of cakes became admirable and their prices went down considerably which made them became affordable for all the masses. Nowadays cakes are a preferred food item for millions all over the world.

Cakes have also retained their ceremonial importance and they are an integral food item at festivals like Thanksgiving and special occasions such as birthdays, weddings and anniversaries. In fact it is hard to imagine a birthday ceremony without a cake.  The birthday cake is the most important piece at birthday parties and cakes also make perfect gifts for the occasion. Nowadays in this wired world of the internet, finding the right cakes for any occasion is a simple affair. One can find exclusive online birthday cake or an anniversary cake at many internet gifts store. Online shopping is a convenient and time saving task and another added benefit of shopping online is that people can arrange an online cake delivery in Delhi for any occasion from any part of the world.

Karwa Chauth gifting trends

On the day of Karva Chauth all eyes will be focused on the sighting of the new moon. The moon plays a significant part in Karva Chauth rituals and festivities. The festival is celebrated on the fourth day of the new moon in the Hindu calendar month of Kartik and it comes 9 days prior to Diwali. Karva Chauth is a very important festival for every married woman in the country and on the occasion married women observes a day long fast for the well-being and prosperity of their husbands. The fast is broken only after the moon is sighted and then prayers are offered to it.

The name of Karva Chauth comes from the Sanskrit word ‘Karva’ which means an earthen pot with a spout and “chauth” meaning the “fourth day.” The earthen pot is considered a symbol of peace and prosperity and like the moon itself, it is essential for the rituals of the day. On the occasion of Karwa Chauth, married women in the country restrain themselves from food or drink the whole day. The fast is considered as the most important fast observed in Indian traditions. Preparations for the day start before the sunrise and the mother-in-law hands over the ‘sargi’ to the daughter-in-law which must be consumed before the dawn. The sargi is usually vermicelli kheer or dry fruits and this is the last meal the women will have for the whole day. The fast is indeed quite strict and women do not take even a drop of water after having the Sargi. Karva Chauth fast commences from morning and ends only at sunset after the moon is sighted.

The women usually do no housework on the occasion and they spend the day applying henna or mehendi to themselves and others and the day passes in meeting friends and relatives.  In the evening, the women gather in groups and an elderly woman in the house usually narrates narrate mythological stories centered on Karva Chauth before the fast is terminated. At night when the moon appears, the women view it through a sieve, or through the cloth of a dupatta. They then offer water and flowers to the moon and after this the worship is deemed complete.  The women break the fast and then take the first sip of water and the first morsel of food which are served by their husbands. It is also the custom for the husbands to present gifts on the occasion. But with the onset of time and changing gender views, there is a trend of Karwa Chauth where husbands also observe fast for their wives and the women also present karwa chauth gifts for husband. Couples present each other with the best karwa chauth gifts on the occasion. The act of gifting strengthens the bond between husband and wife and enhances their marital relationship.