What the Devil is "Candlemas?"

[fenderlove]

So, today, I bought the book What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: From Fox Hunting to Whist-- The Facts of Daily Life in the 19th Century by Daniel Pool. It looked really interesting (and it was on sale). I think it might help me when I get my Victoriana on in my fanfic... if I ever get around to posting fanfic again. I am currently praying for Spring Break like there's no tomorrow.

Comments

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

OMG! I have that book and I love it! You will go back to it over and over and over again.


Gabrielle

[fenderlove.livejournal.com]

I'm excited to read it. I just have to find the time to sit down and do some enjoyable reading. :D

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

The neat thing is that it's all in little sections so you can take that ten minute break and use it to read about the "season" or about pudding or anything you like.


Gabrielle

[fenderlove.livejournal.com]

That is definitely a good thing. It will hopefully inspire many, many, many Victorian-related William fics. :D

[sockmonkeyhere.livejournal.com]

I've got it, too! Discovered it a few years ago. It's a great read!

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

Isn't it great? It's fun to learn all those nifty little facts.


Gabrielle

[diebirchen.livejournal.com]

Candlemas is a feast day in the Catholic church which celebrates the presentation of the infant Jesus in the temple in Jerusalem 40 days after His birth. Forty is an important number in Christianity and keeps showing up in various places: the flood, the temptation in the wilderness, and so on. It also had to do in early times with the purification of the Virgin Mary -- blood purification after birth, I think. The ceremony involved candles. That's what I remember.

[fenderlove.livejournal.com]

Neato. That kind of goes along with the illustrated Lives of the Saints I got today too. :D

[kidcyclone.livejournal.com]

I love What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew! It's been really useful to me in writing Victorian fic. And hurrah for more Victorian William fic! :> I am hoping to finally finish and post a VERY long fic later this year that involves William when he was a year-old fledge...

[fenderlove.livejournal.com]

Awww, wee fledgling William.

I've still got some questions about Victorian upper middle and middle class occupations that I get I'll never fully know the specifics of. I need to do more research.