8212 - WWDP Resources for Leaders of Childrens Group Cuba st3

A recipe to bake: Torticas de Navidad
WOMEN’S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
MARCH 2016
These are Cuban Christmas cookies from Havana – it isn’t
Christmas yet, but these are colourful and easy to make.
Ingredients
(makes 36 cookies)
1 cup butter
1¼ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 cups corn flakes lightly crushes into
smaller pieces, NOT crumbs
1 cup chopped nuts**
1 cup raisins or sultanas
1 cup glacé cherries
**Remember to OMIT NUTS if there
is anyone with nut allergies!
Method
Preheat oven to 190°C / gas mark 5, line a baking sheet with parchment.
Cut 18 of the cherries in half and set aside. Chop the remainder.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a small bowl (with wooden
spoon or electric mixer).
Gradually add the eggs and vanilla.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and bicarb.
Add these dry ingredients to the creamed sugar and mix well.
Gently fold in the nuts, raisins and chopped cherries.
Take a teaspoon of dough and roll it in the corn flakes.
Place the cookies on a baking sheet, place a cherry half in the centre
of each cookie.
Bake for 14 minutes, then cool on a rack.
Cuba
Receive children. Receive me.
Background on Cuba
The largest island in the Caribbean,
Cuba has a population approaching
11,500,000 – that is almost the same
as Belgium, although the island
is nearly four times the size of our
european neighbour. The tallest
mountain is Sierra Maestras and the
longest river is the Canto.
Since the revolution in 1959, Cuba has had
a Communist government, led by Fidel
Castro, and (since 2008) his brother.
20% of the people are below the age 14, and children
start school at the age of 6 and remain in school until
they are at least 15. When they leave school, many
join the Youth Army – all Cubans [male and female]
are required to do two years military service before
they are 28. Most Cubans are very poor, and very few
have TVs, even fewer have their own computers. They
play baseball – the national sport – and their favourite
game is fichas (dominoes). Cubans love music and
dancing – particularly rumba, salsa and cha-cha. They
play guitars, maracas and claves. Their music has been
influenced by Spanish settlers, and the African slaves,
who came to the islands 400 years ago.
Cubans usually have tostada (toasted bread)
and coffee for breakfast. Their lunch is often chicken
empanadas (these look a bit like Cornish Pasties) or
Cuban sandwiches and their evening meal might be
seafood, or meat with rice and beans. They are very
fond of snack foods like pastelitos (filled flaky pastry
turnovers).
Two thirds of Cubans belong to Christian Churches
(mostly Roman Catholic) one quarter have no faith
and the remainder follow other religions. For many
years, under Communist rule, the Christians were
persecuted – but in 2013 laws were passed to protect
the right of people to worship freely.
RESOURCES FOR LEADERS OF CHILDREN’S GROUPS
WOMEN’S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER 2016
Things to make and games to play
Games to Play
r Crocodile?
What’s the time M
e Mr Wolf?” – but
tim
e
th
t’s
ha
“W
e
Just lik
ape
cause that is the sh
with a crocodile, be
a.
of the island of Cub
Penny Parrots
You will need
• Card parrot shape
• Pens/crayons or paints
• Glue, scissors, blu-tac, one penny
1. Copy the parrot shape onto thin card and cut out.
2. Use felt pens, paints or crayons to make the parrot as colourful
as you can. Or you can stick tissue or crepe paper feathers.
3. If you attach a penny to the bottom of the tail (one side only)
with a blob of blu-tac, the parrot will perch on a branch or a
pencil, and rock gently backwards and forwards.
Cuba Cubes
You will need
• Card cube template shape
• Pens/crayons
• Scissors
1. Copy the cube shape onto thin card and cut out very carefully,
then use felt pens or crayons to colour the cube.
2. Now crease every fold on the shape firmly away from you
[origami mountain fold] starting with the corner where the
strips come together, fold the strips alternately under and
over each other. Tuck in the final triangle firmly and there is
your finished cube.
Fichas (dominoes)
You will need
• Card domino shapes, pens, crayons, glue, scissors
• Sheet of wrapping paper/wallpaper or piece of thin
coloured card for backing, and to make a storage box
1. First, stick the whole sheet firmly onto the backing sheet.
2. Colour in the dominoes and cut them out.
3. Make a box to store your fichas. Now you can play fichas
games with your friends, just like Cuban children.
Fichas
s and
with Cuban animal
Use the dominoes
is easy game.
symbols to play th
Diego Diche
y
”, in Spanish. You sa
This is “Simon Says
esee-ay-go dee-chay
[d
!”
to
es
ce
di
go
“Die
toe] or just “Esto!”
Rumba Shakers
You will need
• A cardboard kitchen roll tube
• Crepe or tissue paper, glitter etc.
• Lentils, rice, or small pasta shapes
• Scissors, glue, sticky tape
1. Cut 6 vertical slits 3cm long at top and bottom of tube.
2. Fold in the botom laps and stick securely with tape.
3. Pour in 1 tbsp. of rice.
4. Fold in the top flaps and stick down. Make sure none
of the contents can escape!
5. Now decorate the shaker brightly with strips
of fringed paper.
6. Add any other embellishments you have to
make your shaker look brilliant!
Children Chain
You will need
• Paper, scissors, pens, crayons, gluesick
1. Cut a sheet of A4 paper in half to make two long thin strips.
2. Fold the strips concertina style and draw a person on the top
piece, making sure their hands are touching.
3. Cut out and unfold to make a chain. Colour in all the people.
Make some boys and some girls.
4. Join as many strips as you can to make a long chain of children.
5. Can you make a chain representing everyone in your class?