Category Archives: Christmas

“Old Lady Day” ~ No It is Not My Birthday!

Quarter Days are the four dates in each year that align with religious festivals. The days are roughly three months apart and are close to the two solstices and the two equinoxes. In British history, these days were the ones … Continue reading

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December 27, National Fruitcake Day with a Celebration of Both Truman Capote and the Fruitcake

Okay, I know many of you do not fruitcake, but I am in the minority. I am one of those who still, for example, makes a Christmas pudding. I begin it on Stir Up Sunday, which was 24 November this … 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

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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Christmas Tales on Sale for Your Holiday Reading

These titles are on sale through Twelfth Night (5 January 2025). They are all set around Christmas or have a “holiday” theme. Grab them while you may. First, let us beigin with my Jane Austen Tales, which are set in … Continue reading

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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

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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

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William Strickland, the Man Who Introduced Turkeys to England

Tomorrow in the U.S., we will be all about the turkey and fixings and football and preparing for Black Friday sales, but in the U.K., turkeys are a more traditional dish for Christmas. Why might you ask? We can blame … Continue reading

Posted in British history, buildings and structures, Christmas, Church of England, customs and tradiitons, England, history, holidays, kings and queens, legends, Living in the UK, real life tales, religion, Thanksgiving | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Happy 5th Book Birthday to “Lord Radcliffe’s Best Friend”

“Lord Radcliffe’s Best Friend” was originally part of the anthology A Regency Christmas Together. The idea behind the stories in the anthology was the hero and heroine are “trapped” together at Christmas. The “trapping” could be anything from being snowed in … Continue reading

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“Christmas” in Austen’s Novels, a Guest Post from Lelia Eye

This post originally appeared on the Austen Authors’ blog on December 16, 2021. (Note: December 16, 1775, is Austen’s birthday.) Enjoy! In pondering what to focus on for my December blog post, I naturally gravitated toward Christmas. Once known as … Continue reading

Posted in Austen Authors, books, British history, Christmas, Emma, Georgian England, Guest Post, horology, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice, Regency era, research, Sense & Sensibility | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on “Christmas” in Austen’s Novels, a Guest Post from Lelia Eye