Love was in the era.
It was a period of grand gestures. There, the etiquette of flirtation was cultivated and scandalously abandoned.
Romance lived on the pages of love letters from Prince Albert to the chapters of timeless novels by the Brontë sisters. Their words still elicit excitement, reflection, joy, hope, and love.
The term “Crazy Quilt” refers to a type of patchwork quilt that was wildly popular in the late 1800s. But it could also credit those who attempted the stitchery.
In 1884, Harper’s Bazaar estimated that a full-sized quilt might take 1,500 hours to complete! If a Victorian sewed 8 hours per day, the masterpiece would be complete in 187 days. Otherwise measured as 26 weeks or half a year.
Fashioned from irregularly shaped pieces of fabric in a variety of exotic materials, Crazy quilts were especially trendy among urban, upper-class Victorian women. And this is why. . .
How do you do?
From greetings to farewells, the English vernacular has altered a great deal since the days of Queen Victoria. Many words and phrases have faded from daily vocabulary. However, MentalFloss proposes there are 56 delightful Victorian slang terms you should be using today.
To improve upon your Victorian language, review the list of slang below!
Debutantes did not do dishes.
They were taught piano and guided in the art of flirtation. However, once married, they realized their inadequacies. How, in fact, did one manage a household?
“Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management” became an acclaimed necessity, answering all of their questions.
And her insight holds to this day.
Twice upon a time. . .
One of Disney’s most famous fairy tale movies is The Little Mermaid, released in 1989. It follows the inspirational journey of Princess Ariel as she follows her dreams and finds true love.
Depending on how familiar you are with fairy tales (or the Disney treatment of them), you might be surprised to find just how different the original story by Hans Christian Andersen is.
Andersen wrote The Little Mermaid as part of a collection of fairy tales, published in April 1837. Unlike its contemporary counterpart, the original story is not about good vs. evil. It’s about choices made and the consequences of them. It’s about sacrificial love and striving to be and do your best.
To make things easier, let’s look at the stories side by side.
Many a fantasy has stripped reality of charm.
Such is the case with matchmaking Emma Woodhouse. Her expectations in the way of romance leaves her thoroughly disenchanted. The couple she carefully orchestrated fall away in strife. So burdened was she by these defeats that in Chapter 16 she claims, “It was wrong, to take so active a part in bringing any two people together.”
Had Emma taken to heart these matchmaking truths, she and her matches would have faired far better.
This final installment lends insight to unassuming lies on may believe when bringing good people together.
