Way Back When-sday: Victorian Easter Cards

The Victorians knew how to make pretty greeting cards and they took every opportunity to send them to friends and family. I've always been fascinated with the elaborate designs and whimsical themes. How can you not feel all warm and fuzzy when you look at them?

For fun I wanted to share some Easter greetings with you today. I hope they put a smile on your face.

Do you send greeting cards for Easter? What Easter tradition is your favorite?

*I found these free images on Sugar Moon and the Awake Blog.

Way Back When-sday: Victorian Dinner Party

I'm in the midst of writing a Victorian novel, set in 1898. I've had so much fun researching the customs and etiquette of this highly formal era. But even more than that, I've had fun informing my husband on numerous occasions that his behavior is a sign of "ill" or "low" breeding! :)

For instance, tapping one's fingers in the company of others is a sign of "low" breeding. Placing an arm on the back of a lady's chair is a sign of "low" breeding. And one must never take more than two spoonfuls of sugar, unless one wants to appear greedy.

For today's Way Back When-sday, I've decided to share some dinner party etiquette - in case you're ever invited to a Victorian Dinner Party.

Dressing for the Dinner Party:
For the Ladies

• Do not dress above your station; it is a grievous mistake, and leads to great evils, besides being the proof of a complete lack of taste.
• Do not expose the neck and arms at a dinner party.

For the Gentlemen

• The unvarying uniform is black pants, waistcoat and jacket, with white tie, shirt and gloves. 

Seating Arrangements:

• It is customary for the host and hostess to be seated opposite each other, at the side of the table, in the center.
• Husbands and wives should sit as far as possible from each other. Society is the enlargement, the absorption, and, for the time being, the breaking up of all private and exclusive engagements.

The Before Dinner Interval:

• At some point before dinner is announced, the hostess will discreetly point out to each gentleman the lady he will escort to dinner. He shall serve her throughout the meal.

Upon Sitting:

• The guests find their places by the names on the place cards and every one sits down in a gay flutter of talk and laughter.

 The Delicate Art of Dinner-Table Conversation:

• The conversation should be easy, playful and mirthful.
• The rules of politeness are never at variance with the principles of morality. Whatever is really impolite is really immoral. 
• Do not mention at the table anything that might not properly be placed upon it.

The Etiquette of the Dinner Table:

• Eat slowly; it will contribute to your good health as well as your good manners. Thorough mastication of you food is necessary to digestion.
• Be moderate in the quantity you eat. You impair your health by overloading the stomach, and render yourself dull and stupid for hours after the meal.

 The After-Dinner Interval:

• Contrary to the custom of low society, civilized gentlemen do not remain at the table after the ladies have retired, to indulge in wine, coarse conversation, and obscene jokes. The more enlightened practice is for the ladies and gentlemen to retire together from the dining table.
• It is expected that guests will linger for two or three hours after the dinner. In any event, no one may politely depart until at least one hour has passed.

After the Dinner:

• Within one week, pay a brief "dinner call" to express thanks to your host and hostess, and to briefly reminisce over the delights of the evening. Do not stay for less than ten minutes or more than twenty.

Simple, right? I didn't mention all the rules listed. And I didn't get into the obligations of the host and hostess, the proper table settings, the proper behavior of servants, and on and on. It's giving me great fodder for my book.

What about you? What surprised you most about a Victorian Dinner Party? Is there anything you'd like to resurrect?

These rules are from "The Essential Handbook of Victorian Entertaining" adapted by Autumn Stephens, A Bluewood Book

Way Back When-sday

Happy New Year, 2013!

January 1st is always one of my favorite days of the year. There's a sense of newness and promise for the year to come. It's a wonderful time to look back over the past year and analyze the things we've done.

I've had some time to think about my blog and what I want to do with it in 2013. As a new feature this year, I'm going to share my favorite Way Back When-sday discoveries on Wednesdays. I love history and I spend a great deal of my time researching it for my stories, so I thought it would be interesting to share some fun facts I come across. We have a lot to learn from our predecessors - in what to do and what not to do.

I also want to continue sharing my Minnesota Life. Instead of Fridays, I'm going to share Minnesota Mondays. There will be pictures and information about life in Minnesota - whether through the activities my family enjoys, the places we visit, or the people who make Minnesota one of the best places to live - now and in days gone by.

Fridays will be reserved for my thoughts on faith, the writer's life, parenting and marriage. Often my thoughts on writing, parenting and marriage are tied to my faith, so I've decided to call my posts Faith-Filled Fridays.

As always, I reserve the right to deviate from my plans, especially when I host guests bloggers or when something else presents itself to me that I'd like to share. It's my hope that having a schedule for my posts will help me stay focused, and will help you know what to expect when you visit me here.

I want to offer a heartfelt thank you for reading my blog and commenting below. Your friendship and support encourage me to keep pushing toward my dream of publication. May God richly bless you in the coming year.

Waiting for callers New Year's Day

I'll leave you with a fun Victorian New Year Tradition. Before 1890, it was the custom for men to go calling on New Year's Day. From noon to six o'clock, the Victorian women would be in their drawing rooms, with tables laden with food and drink, and would eagerly await the gentlemen who would come calling. Often, the women would receive up to 100 or more callers in one day.

Gentlemen would go from home to home, trying to visit as many acquaintances as possible, wishing them a Happy New Year. They would strategically plan out their six hour trek, staying for just a few minutes at each home, and would leave their calling cards, as a reminder of their visit. It was advised to not wear brand new shoes for this tradition, as their feet would protest the next day.

The homes of young, unmarried women were especially popular on New Year's Day. It was a great honor to be among the women who received the most callers, and had the most calling cards, at the end of the day.

Alexander Ramsey, the first Territorial Governor of Minnesota, wrote in his journal, on Jan. 1, 1875: "Day was pleasant and wife had about 100 callers."

What about you? Do you have a New Year Tradition?

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I am honored to be a guest on my friend Melissa Tagg's Welcome Mat Wednesday Blog today! I'm talking about making - and keeping - a New Year's Resolution in 2012 that changed my life. Please come and visit me there!