DECEMBER 2019 NEWSLETTER Dear Friends Thursday Dec 5 1000 I have bad news and good news. The bad news is that Guest Speaker – Brian Kelly Teresa Lanitis has had to cancel her upcoming talk, ‘The Stories So Far’. but the good news is that Open Saturdays from 1000 Brian Kelly, ex-spokesman for UNFICYP, has agreed to Contact - Agnete 99823785 come and talk about his life and experiences with the Book shop UN over a period of 50 years. He has been involved with more than a dozen peacekeeping missions dealing with conflict, resolution and electoral Open Saturdays from 1000 Friday December 13 democratic transitions. He Contact – grew up in Dublin and as Alexander 99 354303 1900 hrs most Irishmen, is not lost for words. The talk St Paul’s Christmas Dinner – promises to be light and Recycling sign-up sheet on the hall reasonably entertaining (to use his own words). So do notice board come along and bring a Sunday December 22 friend. 1800 hours On a more practical note we Books to the Bookshop hope that some of you Nine Lessons and Carols, would be willing to sign up Clothes and bric-a-brac to followed by mulled wine for coffee duty now and the Thrift Shop. and mince pies in the hall. again. Please speak to Pat Reeves or me if you are able Used postage stamps can to bring a cake. Every little be put in the envelope on bit counts, so it is not the same people who have to the notice board in the hall. do everything every month. Proceeds go to Release International Humanitarian Agnete Charity. ‘Christmas is coming attached to them. One was Mulled Wine The geese are getting fat that the pudding should 4 lemons - 2 large oranges - Please put a penny in the have thirteen ingredients, 2 bottles of red wine -16 Old man’s hat. representing Jesus and his cloves - 2 cinnamon sticks - If you haven’t a penny disciples and every family about 150 g caster sugar. A ha’penny will do member should take turns Peel zest very thinly from 3 If you haven’t a ha’penny, to stir the pudding mixture lemons and one orange and God bless you!’ on ‘Stir-Up Sunday’ from squeeze the juice. Thinly East to West, in honour of slice the remaining fruit. the Wise Men. Originally Quarter the slices, put on a mince pies were made in plate, cover and reserve for rectangular cases to garnish. represent the crib and the Pour the wine, 1.2 litres of The goose is a solar bird, spices were meant to water, citrus peel and juices and the tradition of eating it symbolise the gifts from the into a large pan and add the is as old as the pagan Sun Magi. cloves and cinnamon stick. Festival on which Christmas Bring to simmering point, was piggybacked. When the cover and keep simmering for about an hour. Stir in harvest was done, geese would roam over the In Cyprus, mischievous sugar to taste. stubble and fatten on fallen sprites called ‘Kalikantzari’ corn. The rich would have preyed upon people during Strain and serve hot with eaten goose or woodcock the twelve days of the extra orange and lemon for Christmas dinner and, Christmas, from Christmas slices floating on top. with the king’s permission, Eve to Epiphany Day, on January 6th. Children did swan. Venison was also on the menu for the rich, and not receive their presents Christmas Flowers – sometimes the poor would on Christmas Eve, but on Poinsettias - you either like be allowed to have the January 1st, as their ‘Santa’ them or hate them! They are deer’s leftover parts - such was St. Vasillus and a quite fussy plants not liking as the heart, liver, tongue, vassilopitta, is still part of draughts or ears and brain – known as the Cypriot celebrations, being too hot, so ‘umbles- hence Humble Pie! when the ‘cake’ is cut at don’t put midnight on New Year’s them on a Our Christmas Pudding Eve. Inside the cake is coin windowsill or next to a fire originated as a 14th century and the finder will have place. Take care if a leaf porridge called ‘frumenty’ good luck for the rest of the breaks off, as the resulting sap made of beef and year This tradition also can cause rashes to which mutton with raisins, occurs in France as well as some people are allergic. currants, prunes, wines and in other European These plants belong to the spices. By 1595 frumenty countries, when the Euphorbia family, which all slowly changed into a plum recipient gets to be King or have a similar sap. pudding, but in 1664 the Queen for the day ! Puritans banned them.In If you would like to 1714, King George 1 re- contribute anything of established them as part of Christmas wouldn’t be interest to the newsletter, the Christmas meal and by Christmas without Mulled please contact the Editor, Victoria’s reign it was more Wine, so in the next column Patricia Jordan, at or less similar to what we is a recipe for this delicious [email protected] eat today. There were drink. many superstitions .