Monthly Archives: December 2023

New Year’s Resolutions for Some Favorite Classic Characters

New Year’s was not always celebrated on 1 January. Ancient cultures celebrated the New Year in mid-March with the planting of a new crop. It is said that the Babylonians were the first to make New Year’s resolutions. That would … Continue reading

Posted in books, drama, Elizabethan drama, Jane Austen, King Arthur, legends and myths, literature, playwrights, Pride and Prejudice, reading, reading habits | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Georgian Era Lexicon – Continuing with the Letter B – “Bo” to “Br”

In the singular form the lexicon of a particular subject is all the terms associated with it. The lexicon of a person or group is all the words they commonly use. As a plural noun, a lexicon is an alphabetical … Continue reading

Posted in British history, etymology, Georgian England, Georgian Era, history, language choices, Regency era, research, terminology, word choices, word origins, word play | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Georgian Era Lexicon – Continuing with the Letter B – “Bo” to “Br”

Tidbits Regarding Some of Your Favorite Christmas Traditions

Below are some facts associated with Christmas, but are rarely mentioned in common conversation. Did you know… Sir Henry Cole was the first to send out a Christmas card. The year was 1843. Cole bemoaned the number of letters he … Continue reading

Posted in Christmas, customs and tradiitons, food and drink, history, holidays | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

A “Christmas Eve” Tale from 1820

Today, I share with you a “Christmas Eve” piece from the Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. The piece comes to us from Washington Irving. The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., commonly referred to as The Sketch Book, is a collection … Continue reading

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Some Facts About a Regency Christmas You May Not Have Heard Previously

I am often asked questions on tidbits of information I have accumulated over the years on this subject or that concerning the Regency era in which Jane Austen lived. Sometimes I have volumes of information to share and others not … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Christmas, Church of England, customs and tradiitons, Georgian England, Georgian Era, history, holidays, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era, religion, research, tradtions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Some Facts About a Regency Christmas You May Not Have Heard Previously

Products of the Stillroom: Mincemeat Filling and Christmas Pudding, a Guest Post from Diana J Oaks

This post originally appeared on the Austen Authors’ blog on December 13, 2021. Enjoy! When we hear that Christmas trees and decorations didn’t go up before Christmas Eve in the Regency household, it might lead us to assume that Christmas … Continue reading

Posted in Austen Authors, Christmas, food and drink, Guest Post, history, holidays | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Salute to My Grandfather

This past weekend would have been my late grandfather’s birthday. He passed in 1984, one month prior to my son’s birth. If some day someone cared to ask about those who influenced me, he would be at the top of … Continue reading

Posted in birthdays, family | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

“Deck the Hall” with Music and History

I recently attended the local Christmas Parade for our rural community. You can keep your Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, for there is nothing better than watching young children scrambling for candy thrown by the various floats. Young, shining face, full … Continue reading

Posted in British history, customs and tradiitons, history, medieval, music, Scotland, Wales | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Georgian Era Lexicon – We Are Still on “B” ~ “Bi… to “Bl…”

In the singular form the lexicon of a particular subject is all the terms associated with it. The lexicon of a person or group is all the words they commonly use. As a plural noun, a lexicon is an alphabetical … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, language choices, research, word choices, word origins, word play | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A Georgian Era Lexicon – We Are Still on “B” ~ “Bi… to “Bl…”

Courtesy Titles (or) Not, a Confusing Aspect of Reading and Writing Historical Novels

One of the most confusing aspects of writing Regency-based novels is the issue of courtesy titles. We authors are always going back and questioning what we think we know. I have heard readers say to me that this is one … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Inheritance, titles of aristocracy | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments