Herald - Issue 398

19th November 2020 • The HERALD • Page 39 v THE HERALD - PART OF YOUR COMMUNITY v Group Spanish Lessons for Beginners via Zoom Different Groups & Levels Spanish Private Tuition Contact us: www.spanishacademy.co.uk Email: spanishacademyuk@gmail.com F Spanish Academy New Forest I spanish_academy SPANISH LESSONS THE LEARNING ZONE Christmas is one of the most wonderful times of the year for so many people, and Spain is no di erent. However, some of our customs may be a bit surprising for some Brits! If you want to live it up Spanish style, it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with some of our ‘crazy’ traditions: 1. On the 22nd December we have La Lotería de Navidad (the Christmas Lottery) on live TV and almost everyone plays it. It is known to be the biggest lottery worldwide and the biggest prize is called ‘El Gordo’ (the Fat One). 2. New Year’s Eve (Nochevieja) people usually meet their family and have a party, almost like Christmas again. When the clock is counting down at midnight, we eat 12 grapes to wish good luck for the following 12 months. 3. Traditionally…there is no Santa Claus! Spanish kids get their presents on the 6th of January by the ree Wise Men (Los Reyes Magos), which stretches out the Christmas celebrations until that day. 4. Basque Country has their own version of Santa Claus: Olentzero, a mythical man dressed in peasant’s clothing and smoking a pipe. 5. In Catalonia they have one of the funniest traditions: Caga Tío, which translates to ‘Poo Log’ (yes, you read that right!). It is a decorated log with a smiley face covered with a blanket. On Christmas Day, children smack the log with a stick and sing a song asking him to ‘poo out’ sweets for them. en, they peel back the blanket and nd the candy they were hoping for! Kids must love it! If you want to learn more about the Spanish culture and the language, you can nd more information about our local Spanish lessons at www.spanishacademy. co.uk or contact Inma spanishacademyuk@ gmail.com. ¡Gracias! Team Spirit Girls Superstars Match Day Experience AFC Totton football club held an amazing match day experience for local girls attending the Team Spirit girls’ superstars’ sessions. Coaching and playing on the rst team pitch and being treated like a superstar ensured a fantastic day was had by all. If you would like to book a FREE match day experience with the AFC Totton Community and Team Spirit partnership please contact them. Sayhi@teamspirit4sport. co.uk 5 Spanish Christmas Traditions You Need to Know! by Spanish Academy Owner, Imna Aran Team Spirit Girls Prazin’ Hands Seek New Premises e Praizin’ Hands Puppet Group which was set up 17 years ago and became a charity at the end of last year are urgently looking for the use of premises to store all their equipment and also hopefully be large enough to use for rehearsals. e premises that they currently use for storage is only available until February next year. e puppet group put on performances in local schools, churches, care homes and hospices across the area at Christmas and Easter and support the schools PSHE curriculum with various presentations throughout the year. ey also work with Churches to lead services and support community events. If you would like to know more about the puppet group, please visit their website at www.praizinhands.org. uk Praizin’ Hands are looking for premises in easy reach of Hythe. e building would need to be dry, secure and be easily accessible and large enough to accommodate all their equipment, hopefully leaving enough space for rehearsals. e three puppet teams are all volunteers and as a small charity they have limited funds available to pay for the use of any suitable venue. If you own a building or know of a building that may be suitable for use by Praizin’ Hands, they would love to hear from you. Please contact them on info@praizinhands.org.uk - ank you. Praizin' Hands Team A CHRISTMAS CALL by Age Concern, New Forest ‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; And for this older person, no joy will arise No chat, no presents, no gasp of surprise Loneliness bites, in so many ways Its reality cruel, on this of all days As an Age Concern New Forest Befriender you might visit an older person in their own home on a regular basis to share interests and provide friendship and company, or, in these times of social distancing o er warmth and connection through regular phone calls. Age Concern New Forest is looking for more volunteers to join their local ‘befriending’ service. Our volunteer befrienders are matched to local older people who live alone and who are in great need, now more than ever, of friendship and companionship to help curb loneliness and isolation. Do you have just a few hours a week to spare? Please help us to ensure that no one in our local community feels forgotten. For more information about joining our wonderful team of local befrienders please contact our Coordinator, Dorothy from 9am to 11am, Monday to Friday on 023 8084 3676 or email wgn@ ageconcernnewforest.org.uk Hitting The Cold Spots Keeping your home warm can be expensive and sometimes di cult. Cold weather not only makes life uncomfortable, but can also lead to serious health problems such as respiratory diseases, asthma, depression, heart disease or stroke. e Hitting the Cold Spots scheme, funded by Hampshire County Council, has a dedicated team who can o er practical advice and support including help with alternative heating measures, such as electric oil lled radiators if you are without heating; can access funding where available for boiler repairs and replacements and rst time central heating, and check eligibility for grants, discounts and local energy e ciency schemes, as well as practical support and advice with debt, money and bene ts. e team can also refer for a Home Safety visit, which can include a carbon monoxide monitor, smoke detector and re safety plan, and assist to switch your energy provider or tari to help give you savings on your fuel bills. Some of these services are subject to availability and conditions apply. For more details telephone free on 0800 804 8601 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday (the call may not be free from mobiles) or call 023 8033 6172 for landline rates. Your call will be answered by a member of the Hampshire-based, friendly and knowledgeable team from the Environment Centre. If you are aware of a family or individual who is struggling to keep warm and well then contact the team.