Christmas 1914 is remembered mainly as the first of World War 1, and for the Christmas Truce on the Western Front when British and German soldiers met in No Man's Land and exchanged gifts, and even played games of football. As part of the British Empire, Australia too was at war but had not yet … Continue reading Christmas 1914
Christmas
Twelfth Cake House by Heidi Eljarbo
Today I’m delighted to be shining a spotlight on Heidi Eljarbo’s newly released novel, Twelfth Cake House, as part of a blog tour hosted by The Coffee Pot Book Club. Twelfth Cake House is a heartwarming Christmas romance set in the Georgian period. Blurb Even a clever matchmaker may need a push in the right … Continue reading Twelfth Cake House by Heidi Eljarbo
Christmas – A Time of Cheer for All in Hobart Town
When we think of a 19th century Christmas, I suspect most of us think of an idealized image – the decorated tree with toys and gifts, stockings hanging from the mantelpiece stuffed with oranges and nuts, the table groaning under the weight of roast beef, ham and roasted potatoes, not to mention the flaming brandy … Continue reading Christmas – A Time of Cheer for All in Hobart Town
A Christmas Stocking
Christmas stockings and ‘stocking fillers‘ are now a traditional part of Christmas. A quick consultation with those two noisy colleagues Drs Google and Wikipedia will tell you that this tradition had its origin in the story of St Nicholas, initially secretly, providing three bags of gold as dowries for the three daughters of a poor … Continue reading A Christmas Stocking
An Unseasonal Christmas – Rain, Wind and Snow in 1878
Snow on kunanyi / Mount Wellington In less than one hundred years of British settlement in Australia, settlers had developed certain expectations of Christmas – the weather would be warm, dinner could be taken al fresco, the afternoon would be spent in outdoor activities. But 1878 was a year when the ‘clerk of the weather’ decided … Continue reading An Unseasonal Christmas – Rain, Wind and Snow in 1878
Christmas in Australia
For many people Christmas brings to mind images of snow covered trees, robins hopping on branches, holly and ivy. Here at ‘the top of the world (or the bottom according to your point of view)’* Christmas occurs in summer. While weather can be variable (it has been known to rain at Christmas), the perfect Christmas … Continue reading Christmas in Australia
A Christmas Season
In many parts of the English speaking world Christmas begins with decorations hoisted and songs blaring out in shopping centres from late November. The weeks leading up to Christmas are party time and often Christmas is over by 26th December with the well organized dismantling the tree on this day. It is followed by a … Continue reading A Christmas Season
The Feast of the Holy Innocents
On 28th December, in the midst of Christmas and New Year celebrations, sits the Feast of the Holy Innocents, also called Childermas. This day commemorates the massacre of boys aged under two ordered by King Herod to ensure the death of the newborn King of the Jews whose existence he had been made aware of … Continue reading The Feast of the Holy Innocents
Catherine Meyrick 