Feliz Ano Novo - Happy New Year!

A Portuguese poet once wrote:

Friend is a big task,

An endless work,

A useful space, a fertile time,

Friend will be, is already a big party!

Alexandre O'Neill, in 'No Reino da Dinamarca" 

To you who despite far away were available to be our friends, we wish a continuation of 

a Merry Christmas and add a hope of a Happy and Prosperous New Year!!!

The best of luck from your friends of Madeira Island!

Um poeta português, escreveu um dia:

«Amigo» é uma grande tarefa,
Um trabalho sem fim,
Um espaço útil, um tempo fértil,
«Amigo» vai ser, é já uma grande festa!

Alexandre O'Neill, in 'No Reino da Dinamarca'


Para vocês que apesar de longe se disponibilizaram para serem nossos
amigos, queremos desejar-lhes uma continuação de Festas Felizes e
acrescentar a esperança de um Feliz e Próspero Ano Novo!!! As melhores
felicidades dos vossos amigos madeirenses!!!

Santa Claus and Grandfather Frost visited children in Slovenia

Father Christmas or Grandfather Frost is a mythological figure who brings gifts to children in the week before New Year’s Eve or in the evening of December 31^st to be opened on New Year’s Day.

The character of Father Christmas has been known since the times of former Yugoslavia. The religion was not particularly appreciated in public under socialism, therefore the public celebrations of Christmas or Saint Nickolas were not allowed. The only mythological figure allowed under communism was the Russian Father Christmas.

The figure of Father Christmas is still present in schools, kindergartens, some companies (he brings presents for the children of the employed) and at public events organized for children in larger towns.

  

Santa Claus

The character became popular only when Slovenia gained independence (in the 1990’s). Before that, we used to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas day. Recently, with the process of Americanisation, all the American celebrations were introduced to us as well, including the American Christmas celebration and the figure of Santa Claus. It is popular especially among atheists; the Christians, on the other hand, prefer Saint Nicholas.

Children in Slovenia are very lucky, since three men bring them presents.

VESEL BOŽIČ IN SREČNO NOVO LETO

A vida é aquilo que acontece enquanto fazemos planos para o futuro. Por isso...
Que a alegria do Natal permaneça em sua vida para sempre!
E Feliz ano novo! Muita luz, saúde, paz e amor.
 

Življenje je to, kar se nam zgodi, ko delamo načrte za prihodnost. Zato...
Naj božično veselje ostaja v vašem življenjenju za vedno!
In srečno novo leto! Veliko luči, zdravja, miru in ljubezni.

Kristina, Saša, Katarina, Izidora

Spet prihaja novo leto,
v meglo sprva še ujeto.
Kaj prinaša, še ne vemo,
le tipaje skozenj gremo.
Staro leto bo minilo,
zadnje dalo bo darilo –
up na lepše, boljše čase,
ki le dobro vleče nase!

Ajda

Let Christmas holidays
bring in your heart
peace and happiness
and let new year 2011
makes all you wishes come true.
                                                           Martina

Če je sreča kapljica vode, 
če je zdravje žarek sonca 
in če je ljubezen čudovit svet, 
vam želimo vsega za cel planet.

To everyone at Madeira school we wish a joyous holiday season, and a brilliant, prosperous, and a healthy new year! We are looking forward to see you soon in Slovenia.
Srečno novo leto!


Laura



Dnevi in trenutki polni sreče in miline, ko radosti in vesela si potiho zaželimo.
Taki dnevi v novem letu naj preženejo trpljenje!
Polno smeha, ljubezni,miru v svetu ti želm v novem letu!

There are days and moments full of joy and grace, joy and happy when you feel like quietly. 

These days in the new year to chase away the suffering! 

Full of laughter, love and peace in the world are elm in the new year!

    Neža                                             

Snežinke, bele zvezdice

(Snowflakes, white stars)

Slovenian Christmas song, sing by the youth choir of our school.

How to make potica

YEAST:
40 g yeast
1 tsp. sugar
2 tablespoons lukewarm milk
2 tablespoons flour
Sprinkle sugar over yeast and add lukewarm milk. Let it stand until twice its original volume.
________________________________________
DOUGH:
600 g flour
50 g suger
50 g softened butter or margarine
2 egg yolks
2-3 dcl milk
2 Tbsp. dark rum (or vanilla)
1 grated peel of lemon
Pinch of salt

Mix softened butter, sugar and egg yolks until the sugar is well dissolved and mixture is frothy. Warm up the milk, mix in salt, lemon peel, and rum, and add to the butter mixture. Form the dough out of the flour, yeast, and milk mixtures.
Mixing with a wooden spoon until of consistency that dough can be handled without sticking. Place dough on floured board and knead for about 15 minutes, adding flour as needed to make a non-sticking dough. Place dough in a well-greased bowl. Cover and let rise in warm place for about 1 hour. While dough is rising, prepare filling.
________________________________________
FILLING:
2 dcl milk
400 g finely ground walnuts
golden raisins
100 g sugar
2 tbsp. dry bread crumbs
1tsp. cinnamon
40 g butter (or margarine)
2 egg whites, beaten stiff

Nuts fried in a pan, pour the milk and add remaining ingredients. Mix all together. Fold in beaten egg whites last. Let filling cool as you roll out dough.
Roll out dough on table covered with a tablecloth well sprinkled with flour, roll out dough into a thin approximately 5 mm thick.

Spread cooled filling over entire dough evenly. Roll by raising the cloth edge slowly with both hands so the dough rolls itself.
Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place until double in volume. Bake about 1 hour at 200°C.

Potica

A traditional Slovenian festive cake

The Slovenian Potica is typically seen as a Slovenian national dish (in competition with »žganci«).

Known under various names (potica, povitica, potičica, povetica, …), poticas differ not only in size and shape, but particularly in their fillings. Potica has been known for centuries to every household in our little country.

Made of white, wheat or corn flour, filled with nuts, tarragon, carob or chive stuffing, sweet or salty, called potica, povitica  or gubanica – we all like it.

Once upon a time there was a cake

Potica was most probably first mentioned in the 17^th century. Valvasor wrote about festive pastry - the wedding cake – a Slovenian culinary speciality made of white flour with stiffing made of eggs and lard. He also mentioned presnec: a dish made of mlinci with cottage cheese, eggs and pepper, rolled with dough and then baked.

He mentioned potica as well in his famous book Slava Vojvodine Kranjske. According to his texts it was made of very thin layers of dough coated with a filling of honey and walnuts and than rolled. The process of rolling is called “poviti” in the Slovenian language and this is also the reason of its name. In some parts of Slovenia it is still called povitica.

However, the tradition of baking cakes in Slovenia is even older. Slovenian cuisine is known for its love for strong and caloric dishes with a lot of fat and sugar.

The cakes were considered all the farinaceous dishes made of leavened or unleavened dough with several fillings. The cakes could be eaten warm or cold. The peasants used to serve the cakes to their supervisors or tax collectors.

    

Saint Nicholas in Slovenian culture

Saint Nicholas is a Christian figure who brings small gifts for good children on the eve of December 6^th. Since Saint Nicholas is a bishop, he is originally portrayed wearing bishop's robes. He is accompanied by angels that have the list of the good children and “parkeljni” (little devils) that threaten the bad ones.

Children used to put the plates, baskets, shoes or bowls on tables or shelves in the kitchen. In the morning they were excited to find little presents such as nuts, hazelnuts, dry figs, apples, home-made socks or gloves. They were sad if there was a stick – “miklavževka” instead of a present. This meant that they were not obedient. “Miklavževka” was believed to be sacred, so it was not allowed to break it. Their mother put it somewhere where it could be clearly visible waiting till the next visit of Saint Nicholas.

Today, children are good, since Saint Nicholas brings everything the children wish. Their wish list is usually drawn up of toys and sweets.

Um pouco sobre a história do Bolo de Mel

Enxerto do livro “Memórias Gastronómicas – Associação Cultural

“[…]O bolo de mel de cana-de-açúcar surgiu, assim, com naturalidade, no sossego claustral do convento de Monchique, cruzando-se os ensinamentos culinários de Portugal com o exotismo árabe-berbere.

Referem velhas crónicas Franciscanas que frei Jordão do Espírito Santo, no remoto século XV navegou para a Madeira, numa ágil caravela trazendo com ele a sabedoria do bolo de mel. Uma vez, no Funchal, no natural intercâmbio de mimos, entre os conventos a notável receita, precedida de deliciosos exemplos vivos do delicioso manjar, tornou-se conhecido das freiras franciscanas do Convento de Santa Clara.[…]”

“ […] juntaram ao bolo algumas requintadas especiarias, com destaque para o cravinho, naturalmente doseado com angélico pudor já que se trata duma especiaria bem afrodisíaca […]”

“[…] partido à mão, o bolo de mel madeirense é bem acompanhado por um fino e velho vinho Madeira[…]”

Na véspera do dia em que se vai preparar o bolo, compra-se o pão em massa no padeiro ou prepara-se o fermento com 250 g de farinha, 1 dl de água tépida e 10 g de fermento de padeiro. Envolve-se o pão (ou o fermento) num guardanapo depois de passado por farinha e deixa-se ficar em sítio quente de um dia para o outro.

No dia seguinte, peneiram-se as especiarias previamente pisadas; cortam-se as amêndoas, as nozes e o cidrão em bocados; dissolve-se o bicarbonato no vinho da Madeira; derretem-se as gorduras no mel quente; raspa-se a casca das laranjas e espreme-se o sumo.

Peneira-se a farinha e o açúcar para dentro de um alguidar grande, faz-se uma cova ao meio e deita-se aí a massa de fermento; depois vai-se «apagando» o fermento com a farinha, amassando. Quando a farinha e o fermento estiverem bem misturados, começa-se a juntar o mel apenas morno (juntamente com as gorduras) e vai-se amassando.

Depois de se ter adicionado todo o mel, juntam-se os frutos preparados, o vinho da Madeira com o bicarbonato, o sumo e a raspa das laranjas e as especiarias. Amassa-se até a massa se desprender do alguidar. Abafa-se com um pano e um cobertor e deixa-se levedar em sítio morno, a uma temperatura sempre igual, durante 3 a 4 dias. Depois divide-se a massa em porções de 250, 500 ou 750 g conforme o tamanho dos bolos. Deitam-se estas porções de massa em formas redondas, direitas e baixas e muito bem untadas e leva-se a cozer em forno bem quente, depois de se ter enfeitado a superfície com meias nozes, ou amêndoas ou bocados de cidrão.

Querendo, pode-se reduzir a quantidade de nozes ou de outros ingredientes caros; nesse caso aumentam-se as especiarias dando lugar a outro tipo de bolo, o bolo podre. Os primeiros são mais saborosos e os segundos mais apimentados. Depois de cozidos e frios, embrulham-se em papel vegetal ou celofane e guardam-se em caixas. Estes bolos podem conservar-se durante um ano inteiro.

Mandava a tradição, que ainda hoje vigora nalguns casos, que o bolo de mel fosse preparado no dia 8 de Dezembro, dia de Nossa Senhora da Conceição, para estar bom no Natal, festa de que este bolo faz parte integrante. É neste dia, 8 de Dezembro, que começam os preparativos para a festa (Natal), e se partem os últimos bolos que restaram da fornada do ano anterior. Por estes motivos é dia de grande azáfama e alegria.

* 2,5 kg de farinha ;
* 1 kg de açúcar ;
* 750 g de banha ;
* 500 g de manteiga ;
* 25 g de erva doce ;
* 50 g de canela ;
* 12 g de cravinho-da-índia ;
* 12 g de cravo-de-acha ;
* 1 colher de chá de mistura de especiarias ;
* 2 kg de nozes (com a casca) ;
* 250 g de miolo de amêndoa ;
* 50 g de cidrão ;
* 5 colheres de sopa de bicarbonato de sódio ;
* 250 g de pão de massa ;
* 1,8 litro de mel de cana (cerca de 2 garrafas e meia de melaço) ;
* 1 cálice de vinho da Madeira ;
* 4 laranjas

Madeira Christmas Traditions

Madeira Christmas Traditions I

Traditional Madeira Honey Cake, usually made on Christmas but also all year round on the island of Madeira and originally named in Portuguese BOLO DE MEL




Ingredients
250 g bread dough from the baker's shop
2.5 kg flour
1 kg sugar
750 g banha, this is pork fat
500 butter
25 g erva-doce, this is anise herbs, mashed and sifted
50g canela (cinnamon)
25g cravinho da India, (cloves in powder form)
500g walnut, cut into halves
250 g ground almonds
50 g candied lemon peel, cut into cubes
1.8 l pure honey
5 tablespoons of baking soda, dissolved in the wine
1 cup of Madeira wine
juice and zest of 4 oranges


Procedure


1. One day before making the cake, buy the bread-dough at the baker's shop, sprinkle a little bit of flour on the dough, put it in a towel and keep it in a warm place until the next day.
2. Put the baking soda into the Madeira wine, dissolve. In a pan warm up the honey, mix the butter and pork fat (if not available, just use butter), dissolve. Let this mixture cool.
3. Sift flour into a bowl, mix in the sugar, make a well and put the bread dough into it. Now work the flour-sugar mixture into the bread dough. As soon as this is well joined, start to incorporate little by little the (tepid) honey-fat mixture. Add some of the candied lemon peel, as well as the Madeira wine, orange juice and orange zest, anise, cinnamon, and cloves.
4. Incorporate and knead thoroughly until the dough doesn't stick to the bowl. Cover the dough with a towel and put it in a warm spot. Keep it in a warm place for 3-4 days.
5. Divide the dough into parts of 250g or 500g or 750 g, depending on the pans to put into the oven. This cake is made in wide, round pans which are rather low. Before going into the oven, the cake is decorated with half-walnuts, sliced almonds and the rest of the candied lemon peel.
6. Grease the baking pans. Bake about 50 minutes 180 °C. Let cool down before taking it out of the baking pan.


Notes, tips, and variations


In Madeira these honey cakes are made on 8 December, which is traditionally considered the day of Mary's Immaculate Conception (Dia Da Imaculada Conceição) because tradition says this cake is only good for Christmas if it is made on this day.
It is a custom to make enough of this cake in order to have some during the whole year. Once cooled and thoroughly wrapped into vegetable paper it remains good until next Christmas without losing quality or taste.
Another tradition surrounding this cake is that it is not cut with knives, but by hand, and also eaten by hand, nothing more than a tradition but very respected among Madeira locals.

Madeira Islands

O arquipélago da Madeira encontra-se situado no oceano Atlântico, distando 500 km da costa africana e 1000 km do continente europeu, ou seja a 1H30 minutos de voo a partir da cidade de Lisboa.

As ilhas da Madeira, Porto Santo, e as inabitadas Ilhas Selvagens e Desertas, constituem o arquipélago da Madeira que foi descoberto pelos portugueses em 1418.

A ilha da Madeira tem uma área de 741 Km² (57 km de comprimento e 22 km de largura).

A sua posição geográfica privilegiada e a sua orografia montanhosa, conferem à ilha da Madeira uma espantosa amenidade climática com temperaturas médias muito suaves e uma humidade moderada.
As temperaturas oscilam entre os 23º no Verão e os 17ºC no Inverno.

Madeira island is 310 miles from the African coast and 620 miles from the European continent, which is the equivalent of a 1 hour 30 minute flight from Lisbon.

The Madeira Archipelago, discovered by the Portuguese in 1418, is made up of the islands of Madeira, Porto Santo and the uninhabited islands of Selvagens and Desertas. It is situated between latitude 32º22’20" and 33º7’50" with its longitude between 16º16’30W and 17º16’38"W.

The island of Madeira has a surface area of 459 square miles (741 km2), (35 miles long and 13 miles wide).

Madeira Island

Programa Comenius – Parceria Bilateral Madeira – Slovenia 2010-2012

Aproveitando as potencialidades disponibilizadas pelo Programa Aprendizagem ao Longo da Vida, através do programa Comenius, o Clube do Património da ESCOLA BÁSICA E SECUNDÁRIA GONÇALVES ZARCO irá desenvolver durante os anos lectivos 2010-2011 e 2011-2012 um intercâmbio com a escola OSNOVNA ŠOLA DANILA LOKARJA AJDOVŠČINA intitulado Traditions and heritage: the basis of an identity.(Tradições e Património: as bases de uma identidade). Este projecto desenvolverá diversas etapas e pretende alcançar diversos objectivos que apresentaremos periodicamente.

Programa Comenius

O Programa COMENIUS visa melhorar a qualidade e reforçar a dimensão europeia da educação, desde o ensino pré-escolar até ao secundário, bem como dos estabelecimentos e organizações que oferecem esses mesmos níveis de ensino, de modo a atingir todos os intervenientes e agentes da actividade educativa.

                                                                                                                                Fonte: www.proalv.pt