On 29th November, the magic reigned supreme in the Allied Non-commissioned Officers’ Club, located within the Baltic Barracks.
Polish ladies, members of the Ladies’ Club, invited ladies from other nations to "Andrzejki", a fortune-telling evening that traditionally takes place on St. Andrew’s Eve. The aim of that extraordinary evening, in which about 30 ladies participated, was not only to present this Polish tradition but also to have a good occasion to meet and spend some time together.
Figures dressed in dark and red robes, wearing real fortune-tellers’ hats, welcomed the guest. There were burning candles and music playing in the background. Each lady received a special gift – a candle and a twig from a sour cherry tree. The tradition says that if the twig kept in water since St. Andrew’s Eve blooms until Christmas, good luck will accompany a person in the upcoming year.
The evening started with fortune-telling of different kind. Obviously, there was pouring melted wax through the hole of a key into the bowl of water. Different shapes of hardened wax were used to cast shadows over the wall, which revealed the future. But there were also other ways of checking what might happen. The longest apple peelings indicated the person with the biggest luck. A heart with hidden letters on one side presented different predictions as soon as a person pricked the heart with a pin. There were also cakes with prophecies and a line of shoes stretched from the wall to the door. The owner of the shoe, which crossed the threshold, may expect a baby to be born in the family soon.
The evening was not only about fortune-telling. There was also tasty dinner and small talks between ladies who discussed their future and other topic as well. Finally, each of them could feel like a real music star when karaoke versions of favourite songs were prepared for them.
The Ladies’ Club gathers ladies whose husbands work at Headquarters Multinational Corps Northeast. "Andrzejki" belongs to examples of events prepared by the Ladies’ Club, which promotes multinational cooperation and good relations within the Corps’ community.
