Do you holiday or take a vacation?
15 October 2009
Many moons ago in the UK, the term vacation was applied to the long summer break which was taken by the law courts, a custom introduced by William the Conqueror of Normandy, to facilitate the grape harvest, hence the French term Les Vacances. I have not been able to determine why Americans refer to their holidays as vacations, however of all the English speaking countries they are the only country to do so!
Whilst doing some background research for this piece I came across an interesting article in the National Geographic entitled The Vanishing Vacation: Why you need a break, written by Joe Robinson, this paragraph caught my eye;
Time off is medicine. Studies show that vacations are as important as watching your cholesterol or getting exercise. An annual holiday can cut the risk of heart attack in men by 30 percent and in women by 50 percent. Vacations have been shown to cure burnout, the last stage of chronic stress, epidemic in today's 24-7. Time away from the source of stressors helps re-gather crashed emotional resources, such as a sense of mastery and social support. But here's the catch: It takes two weeks for that process to occur. You can't get those recuperative benefits from a long weekend.
So if you ever needed confirmation about the benefits of taking a holiday there it is, in black & white! What interests me most is the percentage for cutting the risk of heart attacks in women, 50%! Not surprising I suppose when you consider that most of the 'crashed emotional resources' probably occur in the weeks leading up to the departure date!
Actually it was from a bout of 'crashed emotional resources' that saw the idea of Sequins & Sand come about. We understand the importance of holidays and wanted women to prepare for their holidays in their own time without time constraints, over-flowing in trays or screaming toddlers adding to the stress barometer. A place where you can browse, shop by shape and see how you can get the most out of your holiday wardrobe.
So, whether you are after a kaftan, beach cover-up, resortwear or cruisewear call it what you will Sequins & Sand is here to ensure you have the best ever holiday or vacation!
