Category Archives: History

Accidental Adventures

April 19, 2011

There’s a time for a well-planned vacation and a time to just let the moments flow over you.  Despite my post at Brava Authors asking for suggestions on how to spend our long Patriots Day weekend, my DH and I … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Travel | 2 Comments

Naturally, Mr. Darcy…

February 25, 2011

In the era of the Regency, public discourse was much more formal than it is now. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet refers to the man who will become the love of her life as Mr. Darcy or simply Darcy. … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Readers | 19 Comments

Merry Christmas!

December 25, 2010

I want to share this amazing artwork with you, because it means a lot to me. I first encountered THE NATIVITY AT NIGHT in the National Gallery in London a few years ago. It’s by the Dutch artist, Geertgen tot … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Music, Movies, History, Miscellaneous | 10 Comments

Christmas in a World lit only by Fire

December 23, 2010

Christmas celebrations borrowed freely from the mists of the pagan past. During the Regency era, the custom of dragging in a near tree trunk to provide heat for mid-winter festivities was adapted to celebrate the birth of Christ, the Light … Continue reading →

Posted in History | 2 Comments

The Twelve Days of Christmas

December 22, 2010

The Regency Christmas season lasted from Christmas Eve till Twelfth Night, the eve of the Epiphany (when the arrival of the magi at Christ’s side is celebrated). Each day was filled with music making, skating on frozen ponds, and gentle … Continue reading →

Posted in History | 8 Comments

On the Regency Sideboard

December 21, 2010

While roast beef and venison were the main course of the dinner, along with goose, capon, pheasant, bustard, swan and/or peacock, the real treat of the Regency Christmas meal was the pudding. A pudding needed to be started before the … Continue reading →

Posted in History | 8 Comments

The Family that Plays Together…

December 20, 2010

There was no NFL football or cable TV to occupy Christmas revelers in the Regency era. People had to make their own fun. In the case of this picture of a game of ‘Blind Man’s Bluff,’ it looks as if … Continue reading →

Posted in History | 8 Comments

Decking the Regency Halls

December 8, 2010

In the Regency era, there were no Christmas trees in the parlors of London. Christmas trees were a custom that wouldn’t catch on till Queen Victoria and Prince Albert imported the tradition from Germany. But that doesn’t mean there were … Continue reading →

Posted in History | 6 Comments

Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet

December 7, 2010

When my DH and I were in Amsterdam last month, we encountered a Christmas celebration at the Church of St. Maarten in Utrecht. The picture at the left shows Zwarte Piet, the Dutch equivalent of Santa’s helper. (Behind the garishly … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Music, Movies, History, Travel | 13 Comments

Ghosts of Christmas Past

December 6, 2010

Christmas was banned in Boston! I am not making this up. The celebration of Christmas was forbidden in Boston from 1659-1681? Anyone displaying the slightest bit of Christmas spirit could expect to be fined 5 shillings! Clearly, the Puritans were … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Comments Off