Tag: Medieval traditions

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Boxing Day Traditions

This blog was originally published in 2013. I had no idea what or why Boxing Day was celebrated in England. So I thought you might like to know—again. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to everyone!–Stew

Boxing Day Hunt in Cowbridge, Wales. Photo by Michael Gwyther-Jones (2008). PD-Creative Commons Attribution – Share Alike 2.0. Wikimedia Commons.
Boxing Day Hunt in Cowbridge, Wales. Photo by Michael Gwyther-Jones (2008). PD-Creative Commons Attribution – Share Alike 2.0. Wikimedia Commons.

I recently found out every English Premier League soccer team will be playing on Boxing Day in England. It happens to be the day after Christmas and apparently, this is a tradition in England. It almost seems like every English sport and teams will play that day. I guess it’s kind of like every NFL team playing on Christmas Day.

What Is Boxing Day? 

So Sandy asks me, “Do you know what Boxing Day is and what the tradition is?”

Boxing Day Hunt. Photo by Bob Jones (2009). PD-Creative Commons Attribution – Share Alike 2.0. Wikimedia Commons.
Boxing Day Hunt. Photo by Bob Jones (2009). PD-Creative Commons Attribution – Share Alike 2.0. Wikimedia Commons.

I naturally say, “Of course I do. It’s not hard to figure out. It’s the day when a big boxing match is held, huge wagers are made, and they all eat chips and dip (well, I suppose our type of chips). Just like our Super Bowl.”

Wrong.

I began to research Boxing Day and found out that it is a secular holiday in England (and other countries but primarily the former British empire). It is a bank holiday and as I correctly surmised, every sport under the sun has matches that day. Read More Boxing Day Traditions

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Medieval Sleep Number® Bed

Saint-Denis Cathedral: Recumbent statues of King Charles V and his queen, Jeanne de Bourbon. Photo by Dan Owen (2014).
Saint-Denis Cathedral: Recumbent statues of King Charles V and his queen, Jeanne de Bourbon. Photo by Dan Owen (2014).

Sandy and I were travelling through England several years ago when we visited a 17th-century manor. I don’t recall a whole lot of visitors at the time we were there so we pretty much had the whole house to ourselves. For security purposes, a docent was stationed in every room and they looked really bored—except for one.

Why Is the Bed So Short? 

Medeival sleeping chamber in Marksburg Castle. Photo by Efgeka (2009). PD-Creative Creations Attribution-Share Alike 3.0. Wikimedia Commons.
Medeival sleeping chamber in Marksburg Castle. Photo by Efgeka (2009). PD-Creative Creations Attribution-Share Alike 3.0. Wikimedia Commons.

When we got to what I think was the master bedroom, the fellow keeping an eye on us struck up a conversation. His comments were very interesting and considering the cost to get into the manor and its grounds, all of the room monitors should have done what he did and offer up treasures of information. Yet it was one of his questions that stuck in my head all these years. He asked us if we knew why the bed was so short.

I thought I’d impress him with my knowledge and responded that the people back then were short. In other words, they didn’t need the extra nighttime real estate. He agreed but said that wasn’t the real answer. So much for impressing him.

The Devil Made Me Do It

Read More Medieval Sleep Number® Bed