Archives

December 2006 NEWSLETTER

Christmas Break Up At Sharpes. 1952

New Year Resolutions

Alice O'Callaghan

Colleens Pix

What is Christmas?

The word Christmas comes from the words Cristes maesse, or "Christ's Mass." Christmas is the celebration of the birth od Jesus for members of the Christian religion. Most historians peg the first celebration of Christmas to Rome in 336 A.D.

Christmas Pudding

The first plum pudding was really a porridge that contained boiled portions of beef or veal with wine, sherry and lemon juice. Dried fruit, sugar and spices were added with breadcrumbs to thicken and bind it together. The pudding was then steam cooked in a cloth giving it the shape of a ball. The meat ingredients were omitted in the early 19th century thus it became a sweet course.

The last Sunday before Advent was known as stir up Sunday and was regarded as the last opportunity to make the pudding Every mumber of the maily stirred the mixture and made their wish. The silver coins, trinkets or charms were then place the the pudding, and the lucky people who found them in their portion on Christmas Day would have their wishes come true.

Christmas Trees and Ornaments

The fir tree has a long association with Christianity, it began in Germany almost 1,000 years ago when St Boniface, who converted the German people to Christianity, was said to have come across a group of pagans worshipping an oak tree. In anger, St Boniface is said to have cut down the oak tree and to his amazement a young fir tree spurung up from the roots of the oak tree. St Boniface took this as a sign of the Christian faith. But it was not until the 16th century that fir trees were brought indoors at Christmas time.

Tinsel

Putting Tinsel on the Christmas tree began in Germany as think strips of beaten silver. Later the present form of tinsel was developed. It was cheaper and lighter than the beaten silver so more people could obtain it and it would not break the trees.

The story is told of a poor women who was unable to provide decorations for her children's Christmas tree. During the night, spiders lodged in the tree and covered it with their webs. The Christ Child, seeing this, realized that the woman would be saddened to see the disappointed faces of her children upon seeing only spiders' webs on their tree. He turned the spider webs into silver, and the next morning the poor family was dazzled by the brilliant tinsel that shone on the tree.

Thank You

A big thank you has to go to Chris and Mark Windram from Stafford Villa for opening up their home and their hearts for the society during North Shore Heritage week. I know from being with you all week the time and effort that went into making the high teas the success that they were. Also a thank you to everyone that helped down at the villa and behind the scenes.

Thank you to Rodger Callaghan for all the time and effort and hard work that has been done down at the Museum.

The lovely crochet rug made and donated by Mrs June Spurgeon was won by Winsome Routly ticket No. 42. Thank you Mrs Spurgeon.

Christmas Jokes Oldies but????

What do you give a railway station master for Christmas?
Platform shoes

What do you say to Santa Claus when he is taking the register at school?
Present

What is a crocodile's favourite Christmas party game?
Snap

What do you get if you eat Christmas decorations?
Tinselitus

It was Christmas and the judge was in a merry mood as he asked the prisoner, "What are you charged with?"
"Doing my Christmas shopping early", replied the defendant.
"That's no offence", said the judge.
" It is if you do it before the shop opened", countered the prisoner.

There are still some copies left of our book of stories
Life Laughter and Love in the early years.
Cost $10

Please note the Museum will be closed from 17 December 2006 and
Re-opens again 4 February 2007