The 1500's VS 2000's

Take the time to learn some history , it is very good.
> >Grab a cup of something and enjoy the read!!!!
> >
> >Subject: The 1500's --- curious!
> >
> >
> >
> >The next time you are washing you 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 1500's:
> >
> >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 odor.
> >Hence the
>custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.
> >
> >Baths consisted of a bug tub 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 warmth, 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 the
> >floor to keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more
> >thresh until, when you opened the door, it would 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
>we.
> >
> >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. The ate mostly vegetables 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 awhile.
> >
> >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."
> >
> >Leas 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 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, thread 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!
> >
> >All true! Whoever said History was boring!?