CHRISTMAS SUPERSTITIONS

Predicting Your Future Husband: Many old superstitions are based on helping an unmarried woman find her future husband. Women from some cultures pour melted lead into cold water, and the shape it takes determine the initials of the man she will marry. Similarly, some cultures believe if a woman peels an apple in a single ribbon and throws the peel above her head, the shape of the peel on the floor is her future husband. Throwing your shoe can help you find your husband, too. According to German tradition, a girl hoping to marry her sweetheart should throw her shoe into a pear tree twelve times during the twelve days of Christmas, and if the shoe ever stays in the tree, her wish will come true. Another tradition recommends that a woman should lay on the ground and toss her shoe over her head. The direction the shoe lands in is the direction her true love will come from. If you want to turn this predicting into a competition between a group of unmarried friends, a blindfolded goose can be placed in the middle of a circle of girls. The first girl the goose touches will be the first to get married.

Stirring the Christmas pudding is considered to be good luck and if you are looking to get married the following year, you should stir it at least three times.

Now here’s a sure-fire tip for success. If you find a kneeling donkey on Christmas Eve and make the sign of the cross on its back, it will bring you your heart’s desire.

Using Foods to Determine Luck: Apples are often seen as a good luck food to eat on Christmas, probably part of the reason foods like apple pie are popular around this time of the year. Eating an apple at midnight on Christmas Eve will also bring you good health all year round. However, you should probably factor in Daylight Savings otherwise it may not work.

It is said that bad luck will befall anyone who refuses a mince pie at Christmas dinner, and apparently the number of pies you eat determines how much luck you will have for the following year, which explains why my Tattslotto tickets don’t do very well because I don’t like mince pies. Also, you will get a month of luck during the next year for each home you eat a mince pie at during the holidays. According to English superstition, eating a plum pudding on Christmas day will lead to friendship in the following year. Of course, these traditions might just be a convenient excuse to eat sweet treats during Christmas. Taking all of the above into account, I think I know what your New Year’s Resolution is going to be.

Around the House: The first person to open the front door on Christmas Day and say, “Welcome Father Christmas,” is said to be very lucky for the following year. This might encourage you to get up early in order to be the first to open the door but apparently if you’re the first person out of bed on Christmas Day, it is your responsibility to take a broom and sweep away ‘trouble’ from the threshold of your home, so this luck does come at a price.

Whilst we would all love to receive a brand new pair of shoes from a loved one on Christmas Day, here’s a word of warning. You should never give shoes as a Christmas present as the recipient will simply walk out of your life. Hmm, if you still have kidults living at home, perhaps they might welcome a new pair of shoes. It’s just a thought.

- John Kriesfeld

Cwa Gv West Group

Our CWA Group finished up the year with the Craft Group holding their Christmas Craft Day and Lunch at the Tatura Community House on Wednesday, 16th November where members made Christmas craft items and enjoyed a lunch together, and a show and tell of craft made during the year.

Our Group President Mandy and Group Secretary Janette have been busy doing the rounds of the various branches in the Group presiding over their Annual General Meetings. The Branch Secretary reports are always interesting recording all the branch’s activities for the year, the days out, fund raising initiatives and their donations to the various local organisations, including the SES, hospitals, Hospice Care, flood relief and many more.

Our hearts go out to those in our community who have been adversely affected by the floods and hopefully they are all receiving the help they need to recover.

Tatura Community House celebrated their 40th Anniversary on 17th November with Open House and Supper. All organisations who use the House for their meetings or activities were invited to make up a poster depicting their organisation. Lyn Trezise on behalf of The Goulburn Valley West Group excelled herself again and made up a poster which not only showed photographs of our various events but small craft items dangling from the poster.

The next major CWA event at State level is the Christmas Fare at headquarters in Toorak on Saturday 3rd December, with many of our members cooking up a storm making Christmas puddings, cakes, shortbreads to be sold at the Fare, and some travelling down to help on the day.

A special recognition to Lucy Harper of Harston branch who this month celebrates 70 years of being a CWA member, an outstanding effort on her behalf.

For all enquiries regarding joining a local CWA branch please contact our Group President: Mandy Perkins on 0419 210 149 or Group Secretary Janette Mason on 0408 194 638 and you will be most welcome to come along to a meeting at any one of our six branches in the Goulburn Valley West Group.

All the members of our local CWA branches wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year and look we forward to a drier 2023!

Janice Barrette, Publicity -GV West Group

The children at the Cubby House have been very busy this month on the climbing equipment. Practicing body balance, problem solving, coordination, body awareness and building confidences. With the warmer days the children have been in the garden, planting new tomatoes plants, cutting the tresses back, weeding and making some nice little play arounds with the pot plants. We are looking foward in the month to start the Christmas