Spicy food: What it says about your personality

Do you like chilli? Or other spices? Or does the mere thought of such food make you feel uncomfortably hot? Your preference in terms of spiciness may say more about you than you think. If you’re the kind of person who puts eight tons of chilli sauce on their pizza – kudos to you! And to your guts, too. Your digestive system must be toughened to the max. The palate and the headBut apart from the physical consequences of eating spicy foods, your taste has a greater psychological impact than…

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Sleeping with socks: this is why you should never do it

Socks make it easier to fall asleep, but it’s better not to wear them when you sleep so that your body can regulate its temperature. Find out why here! Should you sleep with socks on your feet? This question divides opinion and leads to differences of opinion among experts. Each side has its own arguments. The benefits of wearing socks when sleepingAccording to a study conducted by two South Korean academics, wearing socks, which can be easily cleaned with a trick, leads to better sleep at night. The study on…

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Pope Francis gives the blessing “Urbi et Orbi”

Pope Francis reads the traditional Christmas message in the Vatican on Christmas Day (Monday, 12:00). From the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, the head of the approximately 1.3 billion Catholics will bless Urbi et Orbi, i.e., the city and the world. It is expected that Francis will condemn the wars in the world. This year’s feast is particularly marked by the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. Tens of thousands of believers are expected to gather in St. Peter’s Square. In his Christmas message last year, Francis called in…

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Up to 18 degrees: It’s warmer on Christmas Day than on Easter

On Christmas Day, the friendly and sunny weather character will predominate in the west and south, and there will often only be high clouds in the sky; any early morning fog will soon dissipate. In the north and partly also in the east, there will still be some denser patches of cloud, but short showers will remain the exception here, too. The snow line will mostly be above 2000m above sea level. The wind will blow weakly to moderately from predominantly westerly directions, brisk in the country’s northern parts, sometimes…

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On December 25 and 26 | Shopping around Christmas: The opening hours at a glance

On December 25 and 26, special opening hours apply for food retailers on public holidays. Food markets at major train stations and airports can open, but this is not everywhere. (The exact times of the locations can be found here: Sonderöffnungszeiten | BILLA). Another option on Sundays and public holidays is petrol station stores and unmanned vending machines. A third of Austrians buy presents in the last week before Christmas, some just before the festive season. Petrol stations and pharmaciesPetrol stations are open just as long as on other public…

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This is how much more expensive electricity and gas will be from January

Energy grid fees will be increased at the start of 2024. We already pay a lot for electricity and gas, but from January on, you will have to prepare for even higher costs. This is because the grid fees will be increased at the start of 2024. For electricity, the average increase across Austria will be around 11.25 percent, while gas network charges will rise by an average of three percent, the regulatory authority E-Control announced on Monday. For an average household with an annual consumption of 3,500 kilowatt hours…

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The new vignettes for 2024 are a popular gift. But: in addition to innovations, there is also a trap you could fall into

The new vignette year started on December 1, 2023; this also marked the start of the validity period for the new adhesive vignette in sunny yellow and the 2024 digital vignette. This year, however, there are a number of innovations in addition to the color of the vignette, and these are also important if you either give the vignette as a gift or receive it as a present. “New to the offer for the first time is the 1-day vignette. Like the 10-day vignette, it is now valid immediately after…

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What’s changing about pensions in Austria: Raising the retirement age for women will take effect for the first time in 2024

The increase in the retirement age for women will take effect for the first time in 2024. Female insured persons born between January 1 and June 30, 1964, can only retire at the age of 60.5. For those born between July 1 and December 31, 1964, the standard retirement age increases to 61. This pattern continues in further half-yearly steps up to the 1968 birth cohort. For women born after June 30, 1968, the standard retirement age of 65 will apply, as for men. Substantial pension increasesAnd what else? Austria’s…

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Christmas: A joy that overcomes human fear

Fear and joy: the angels’ Christmas message speaks of two strong, contradictory feelings. The angels’ Christmas message: “Do not be afraid!” says the angel to the shepherds tending their sheep outside the gates of the town of Bethlehem. If you follow the Christmas story, at first glance, it is the unexpected light that startles the shepherds. The “clarity of the Lord,” who comes into the world and its darkness, is the first thing that spreads fear among us humans—as astonishing as this may sound. But it is not necessary for…

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