West Palm Beach & Hershey

I know... long time no blog post.. not because I don’t like to post, but more because I have had several distractions over the last several weeks, some fun, some not, some of my own creation and some created by others.

One of my distractions was a 3 day trip to West Palm Beach Florida with my family.  Every year, during hurricane season, and before the new school year, we have made this trip as a way to reconnect and regroup with our children as a kind of “last hurrah” before going back to school.  Back to school actually happens to be a great time of year for us at Carson, and we have some great designs to celebrate.

Every day I am surrounded by Hershey’s chocolate here at our facility in Ohio, but I often feel as if the brand follows me somehow when I am away. I promise this is not just some conspiracy theory.

So I am in the Atlantic ocean with my daughters, when all of the sudden I see a shiny piece of paper is floating around me.  Not one to leave garbage floating around, I reached down to pick it up… and guess what it was… A HERSHEY BAR WRAPPER!

As if it were a sign from above telling me I was meant to be around Hershey’s bars all day.  When I showed Sharon, she just shook her head in disbelief.

Dastar Bandi (Turban Tying)

Since about 1500 and the time of Guru Nanak Dev *1 (the founder of Sikhism) Sikhs have been wearing the turban. The dastar, as the Sikh turban is commonly known, is an article of faith. The dastar is mandatory and all baptized Sikhs are required to wear a dastar.
The turban is not to be regarded as mere cultural paraphernalia.    When a Sikh dons a turban, the turban ceases to be just a piece of cloth and becomes one and the same with the Sikh's head. The turbans as well as the other articles of faith worn by Sikhs, have an immense spiritual as well as temporal significance. The symbolisms of wearing a turban are many from it being regarded as a symbol of sovereignty, dedication, self-respect, courage and piety but the reason all practicing Sikhs wear the turban is just one - out of love and obedience of the wishes of the founders of their faith.
The Turban is such a crucial article of faith that many Sikhs consider it to be more important than all the other Ks. Turbans may be of any color, and is tied in many different ways and styles.  Normally older people tend to wear white turbans thus reflecting their acquired wisdom. Saffron and deep blue are the colors of battle. In modern society, the color of the turban is irrelevant.
Many Sikhs tie a small turban for the first time on the head of a child in presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. At the age of about five years, the ceremony of Dastar Sajauni (tying of turban) is performed for male children Either an Akhand Path or Khulla Path is performed to celebrate “Dastar Sajauni” ceremony in presence of the Sangat.
Traditionally when a boy reaches between the ages of eleven to sixteen, he is taken to a Gurudwaras (for the formal adult ceremony) and there, in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib and following Ardas, his first (adult and traditionally spiritual) turban is ceremonially tied on by the Granthi or by a Sikh elder. This ceremony designates the respect with which the turban is regarded and is called the Dastar Bandi. 
This summer Carson was privileged to design a custom personalized wrapper for a Dastar Bandi.  It is an honor to see our product touching lives cross culturally for momentous occasions through out the world.