We have all heard the claims: People were shorter in the past, and that is why old beds are so short. I am here today to tell you that both “facts” are hogwash! Well, mostly… In a 2010 issue of The Economist READ HERE there was an article about a mass grave...
Love, exciting and new Come Aboard. We’re expecting you. Love, life’s sweetest reward. Let it flow, it floats back to you. Love Boat soon will be making another run The Love Boat promises something for everyone Set a course for adventure, Your mind on a new romance. Raise your hand if you remember The Love Boat?...
At the April meeting of JASNA Louisville – which I am thrilled to be a member of — Dr. Glynis Ridley gave a talk on trade with the West Indies during Jane Austen’s time, specifically as it related to Mansfield Park. It was a fascinating topic on numerous points, one...
If it were some two hundred years ago and we were in England – London to be precise – we would be busily involved in the host of activities that constituted what was considered “The Season.” Ready for a history lesson? Originally the movements of the royal family effected the...
On Tuesday I wrote a post about the Kentucky Derby, which is taking place this coming Saturday. For anyone in Kentucky, where I now reside some thirty miles south of Louisville and Churchill Downs, the Derby is THE hot event of the year. I am still learning about it, so...
This is our first year living in Kentucky, which is our excuse for not fully grasping onto the fever. You see, to folks around here, for two weeks in late April to early May, everything revolves around the Kentucky Derby. In fact it is so entrenched into the culture and...
As the last entry (for now) in my series of weddings during the Regency and Georgian Eras, and the history attached, today I’ll cover the wedding cake. As anyone who has been to or planned a wedding knows, the cake is just about the most important part of the ceremony....
This Monday and next I’ll continue the wedding history trend of the past five weeks with addendum posts, as it were. Next week I’ll relate the origins of wedding cake traditions. Today I am covering engagement and wedding ring symbolism. Because I had so many images to share and wanted...
Today is Good Friday and a traditional favorite in England is Hot Cross Buns. These are a spicy currant or raisin studded yeast bun, topped with a “Cross” of lemon flavored icing. While Christians have adopted the cake and the symbolism of the cross, it wasn’t always so. To Pagans...
Today is Maundy Thursday, also referred to as Holy Thursday or Covenant Thursday or Great Thursday. The term “Maundy” comes from the Latin mandatum which means “command” and refers to the command Jesus issued on the last Thursday of His life, which was to “love one another as I have loved...
EASTER is the top-selling confectionery holiday in the west, second only to Halloween. Each year witnesses the making of nearly 90 million chocolate bunnies. Statistically, 76% of people bite off the chocolate bunny ears first, while 5% bite the feet first and 4% eat the tail first. I wonder who...
We come to the fifth and final portion of my series about marriage during the Georgian and Regency periods. Here are the links to all FIVE parts of the series — Part 1 – The LegalitiesPart 2 – Banns and LicensesPart 3 – The Ceremony PrepPart 4 – The GarmentsPart 5...
Where does the name ‘Easter’ come from? Pagan traditions give us the English word Easter which comes from the word Eostre. According to Bede, the English monastic historian, the Anglo-Saxon word for April was “Eostre-monath” (the month of openings). It is important to note that Christians celebrated the resurrection of Christ...
Here are the links to all FIVE parts of the series — Part 1 – The LegalitiesPart 2 – Banns and LicensesPart 3 – The Ceremony PrepPart 4 – The GarmentsPart 5 – The Vows & The Celebration Presuming most of you reading this are women, we are naturally curious about...
As I noted yesterday, by the late seventeenth century April Fool’s Day was an established fact in Europe at least. With the formalized scheduling of a day free to prank without impunity, the challenge was on! Once again I will direct to The Museum of Hoaxes for historical examples. Here...
