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Common Ridings and Beating the Bounds
On Ascension Sunday, or the first full moon after the vernal equinox, communities in England "beat the bounds." The practice dates back two thousand years, before the advent of surveying. Locals form a...
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Another Winning Historical from Sandra Sookoo
Today I am deviating from my normal posts about British customs and holidays to welcome romantic fiction writer, Sandra Sookoo. Sandi stopped by for a visit and I am thrilled, not only because she is a...
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Jane Austen: Sleeping with the Saints
July 15th is St. Swithin’s day, the patron saint of Winchester Cathedral. He was bishop there at the time of his death in 862 A.D. Swithin was dedicated to the building of churches and bridges and...
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Bonfire Bangers on Guy Fawkes Night
Halloween is a collection of traditions that have come down from pagan harvest festivals with a layer of Christian icing spread over the top. The secular aspects of the holiday often are overlooked....
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Merry Christmas versus Happy Christmas
I've always been intrigued why the British say "Happy Christmas" and we in the US say "Merry Christmas." An internet search revealed that, prior to the 1830s, “Merry Christmas” was the more popular...
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Wilt thou be mine, Love--aye or no?
In 1819, the poet Charles Lamb wrote of February 14th: [T]his is the day upon which those charming little missives, ycleped Valentines, cross and intercross each other at every street and turning. The...
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Mothering Sunday
March 14th is Mothering Sunday in Britain, the equivalent of Mother’s Day in the US. Until the mid-17th century, the fourth Sunday in Lent was known as Refreshment Sunday or Laetare Sunday. (Roughly...
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Shoes in the Wall
One of the more unusual customs I’ve run across is the placing of worn shoes in the walls of buildings when they are constructed. Concealed shoes have been found in churches, cottages, manor houses,...
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Celebrating Horniness
October 18th is St. Luke’s Day. Legend has it that, on this date sometime during the 12th century, King John passed through the village of Charlton near Greenwich while hunting. He stopped at a mill to...
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The German Christmas Tree
Introduction of the German Christmas tree to the English court is generally attributed to Queen Victoria. But it was around from at least the early 1700s. In a footnote on p.75 of The Loseley...
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The Devil's Hoof Prints
Technically, this story falls outside the Regency period, but I found it too irresistible!)On February 9, 1855, folks in villages throughout south Devon awoke to find strange hoof prints in the snow....
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Queen Charlotte's Birthday Ball
Once Easter was over, it was time for the ton to begin straggling back to London from their estates. But not until the royal family returned did the Season officially begin. And the highlight for any...
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'Tis the Season
It's that time of year again! To celebrate, I've gathered all my articles about Regency Christmas. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I've enjoyed researching and writing them over the years.The...
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Ice Houses and Wells
Anne Gracie's blog Snow for Sale!on Word Wenches has prompted me to repost an old factoid about ice houses.Prior to the advent of mechanical refrigeration, preservation of food was difficult,...
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The Cork Rump
This blog is a repost of the one I wrote for Joan Lane's All Dressed Up at http://jplanewrites.blogspot.com/2012/05/cork-rump.htmlIn the first decade of the Georgian Era, bell-shaped skirts were all...
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The Art of the Calling Card
Early 1800s lady's visiting cardThe calling card was an essential social tool during the Regency. As soon as a lady arrived in town, or prepared to leave it, she dropped off a card at the homes of her...
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Rule of the Road
a poem by Henry ErskineThe rule of the road is a paradox quite,If you drive with whip or a thong,If you go to the leftyou are sure to be right,If you go to the right you are wrong.In 1300 A.D. Pope...
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Michaelmas
The following is a guest post by Charae on the topic of Michaelmas. Charae and her sisters, Lynnae, Leisel and Kayleen blog about Regency and Victorian life at The Crossroad of...
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The Great Conduit
By the 13th Century, London's population of forty thousand was crammed behind the city walls on the north side of the Thames River. Residents relied on natural wells, streams and rivers for their daily...
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Trafalgar Day
(For larger view, click here.)On this date in 1805, the inimitable Admiral Lord Nelson signaled from his ship the Victory those famous words, "England expects that every man will do his duty," then...
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Christmas Crackers and Gingerbread
Christmas CrackerThe Christmas Cracker was invented by a London confectioner named Tom Smith around 1847. Mr. Smith had fallen in love with the French Bon-Bon, a sugared almond candy twisted in waxed...
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Wilt thou be mine love -- aye or no?
The following is a repost from my 2010 archives. Happy Valentine's Day!In 1819, the poet Charles Lamb wrote of February 14th: "T]his is the day upon which those charming little missives, ycleped...
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Swan Upping on the Thames
For five days during the month of July, a census is conducted of the mute swans on the River Thames. The flotilla plies the river to count swans and tag cygnets. July is the chosen time for "swan...
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In Britain, the harvest cycle that began on Lammas Day (August 1st) ends at the autumnal equinox in late September. Like Thanksgiving in America, this time of year is associated with the celebration of...
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Historic Preservation: Safeguarding Scenes from the Past
This month I’m doing something different. As a participant in Classic Romance Revival’s blog carnival, I’m supposed to address the topic, Settings: Simply Scenic or Something Significant? (be sure to...
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