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The next time
you a re washing
your hands and
complain because
the water
temperature
isn't just how
you like it,
think about how
things used to
be. Here are
some facts about
the1500s:
Most people got
married in June
because they
took their
yearly bath in
May, and still
smelled pretty
good by June.
However, they
were starting to
smell, so brides
carried a
bouquet of
flowers to hide
the body odor.
Hence the custom
today of
carrying a
bouquet when
getting married.
Baths consisted
of a big tub
filled with hot
water. The man
of the house had
the privilege of
the nice clean
water, then all
the other sons
and men, then
the women and
finally the
children. Last
of all the
babies. By then
the water was so
dirty you could
actually lose
someone in it.
Hence the
saying, Don't
throw the baby
out with the
Bath water..
Houses had
thatched
roofs-thick
straw-piled
high, with no
wood underneath.
It was the only
place for
animals to get
warm, so all the
cats and other
small animals
(mice, bugs)
lived in the
roof When it
rained it became
slippery and
sometimes the
animals would
slip and fall
off the roof.
Hence the saying
. It's raining
cats and dogs.
There was
nothing to stop
things from
falling into the
house..This
posed a real
problem in the
bed-room where
bugs and other
drop-pings could
mess up your
nice clean bed.
Hence, a bed
with big posts
and a sheet hung
over the top
afforded some
protection.
That's how
canopy beds came
into existence.
The floor was
dirt. Only the
wealthy had
something other
than dirt. Hence
the saying, Dirt
poor. The
wealthy had
slate floors
that would get
slippery in the
winter when wet,
so they spread
thresh (straw)
on floor to help
keep their
footing. As the
winter wore on,
they added more
thresh until,
when you opened
the door, it
would all start
slipping
outside. A piece
of wood was
placed in the
entranceway.
Hence the saying
a thresh hold.
(Getting quite
an education,
aren't you?)
In those old
days, they
cooked in the
kitchen with a
big kettle that
always hung over
the fire. Every
day they lit the
fire and added
things to the
pot. They ate
mostly
vegetables and
did not get much
meat. They would
eat the stew for
dinner, leaving
left-overs in
the pot to get
cold overnight
and then start
over the next
day. Sometimes
stew had food in
it that had been
there for quite
a while. Hence
the rhyme, Peas
porridge hot,
peas porridge
cold, peas
porridge in the
pot nine days
old..
Sometimes they
could obtain
pork, which made
them feel quite
special. When
visitors
came over, they
would hang up
their bacon to
show off. It was
a sign of wealth
that a man
could, bring
home the bacon.
They would cut
off a little to
share with
guests and would
all sit around
and chew the
fat..
Those with money
had plates made
of pewter. Food
with high acid
content caused
some of the lead
to leach onto
the food,
causing lead
poisoning death.
This happened
most often with
tomatoes, so for
the next 400
years or so,
tomatoes were
considered
poisonous.
Bread was
divided
according to
status. Workers
got the burnt
bottom of the
loaf, the family
got the middle,
and guests got
the top, or the
upper crust.
Lead cups were
used to drink
ale or whisky.
The combination
would sometimes
knock the
imbibers out for
a couple of
days. Someone
walking along
the road would
take them for
dead and prepare
them for burial.
They were laid
out on the
kitchen table
for a couple of
days and the
family would
gather around
and eat and
drink and wait
and see if they
would wake up.
Hence the custom
of holding a
wake.
England is old
and small and
the local folks
started running
out of places to
bury people.. So
they would dig
up coffins and
would take the
bones to a
bone-house, and
reuse the grave.
When reopening
these coffins, 1
out of 25
coffins were
found to have
scratch marks on
the inside and
they realized
they had been
burying people
alive. So they
would tie a
string on the
wrist of the
corpse, lead it
through the
coffin and up
through the
ground and tie
it to a bell.
Someone would
have to sit out
in the graveyard
all night (the
graveyard
shift.) to
listen for the
bell; thus,
someone could
be, saved by the
bell or was
considered a
..dead ringer..
And that's the
truth...Now,
whoever said
History was
boring ! ! !
Educate someone.
Share these
facts with a
friend
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