I recently heard someone say "Get better not bitter" and it hit all too close to the mark. It's easy to be bitter over things. Regrets, choices we made, things we wished. But it's impossible to change the past no matter how many ways we think of to do just that.
So today I challenge you (and me) to be better than yesterday.
Candles have been used for centuries, and changed little until the 1800s. Rich households used mirrors or other reflective surfaces to cast as wide a range of candlelight as possible. (Think that scene in The Mummy where Evie says "Let there be light.")
Most candles, unless you were super rich, used tallow. Tallow is beef or mutton fat. I can't imagine it smelled any better than fish oil lamps. If you had the coin, beeswax was the way to go for lighting a party. Then people started to kill sperm whales to extract whale oil which burned with no smell.
Petroleum was discovered during the Industrial Revolution and paraffin extracted from it. The History of Candles - GD Candles
In the 1800’s, candle makers realised the wick was not only the weakest part of the candle, but also the cause for defective burning patterns. A braided wick was then developed in 1825 that seemed to greatly improve the burning quality of the candles.
By 1835, a candle making process was developed using paraffin wax and molds. The quality of these candles was great and candle makers found that it burnt well. As gas and electricity were evolving, the candle making process also continued to evolve. It became easier to melt the paraffin wax faster.
candles in the regency era | Jane Austen's World (janeaustensworld.com)
I did a lot of research on Regency Christmas traditions. I used none of them in Christmas with You. These things happen and I'm not sorry but I adore learning new things.
So let's talk about wassil. The drink, that is, not the Old Norse ves heill which probably means to be in god health.
Wassail is a mulled punch. The earliest recipes were warmed mead with roasted crab apples. It evolved into a mulled cider (sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, topped with slices of toast).
Here are a couple recipes. I've never tasted wassil, have any of you?
Traditional Wassail Recipe | The Recipe Critic
Grandma's Wassail Recipe | Allrecipes
It's Christmas in July! Christmas with You, the next story in Louise and Malcolm's journey. If you're on my VIP mailing list, you should've received a newsletter with the link. If not, sign up here!
Regency Christmas was far more limited holiday than we celebrate now. In England, it was celebrated December 24, 25, and 26. Christmas Eve, Day, and St. Stephens Day. Twelfth Night, also known as Three Kings Day and the Epiphany, was also a day for caroling.
Hellebores: The Christmas Rose - Hyannis Country Garden
Regency Christmas Traditions: Special Days of the Holiday Season - Random Bits of Fascination
Christmas Traditions from The Regency Era | Jane Austen's World (janeaustensworld.com)
Regency Christmas Traditions: Twelfth Night Revelries - Random Bits of Fascination
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,
The Lady's Pirate Excerpt 2 : ✔️Man in distress ✔️Allies to Lovers ✔️Sexy times ensue “You’re still here,” she said into the dark...
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