> > This is actually pretty interesting! But verify the truth. > > > > > > > > In The 1500's > > > > The next time you are 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 the 1500s: > > > > These are interesting... > > > > 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 odour. 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 bedroom where bugs and > > other droppings 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 entrance way. > 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 a and did not > > get much meat. They would > > eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers 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 whiskey. 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 > >