interesting history

[Deleted User]

dont know if its true, but it makes sense, i guess--


> > > > Interesting History
> > > >
> > > > The next time you are washing your 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 1500s:
> > > >
> > > > Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath
> > > > in May and still smelled pretty good by June 20. 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 big tub filled 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 warm, so all
the
> > > > dogs, 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. That
> > > > posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings
> > > > could really 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 help keep their
> > > > footing. As the winter wore on, they kept adding more thresh until
> when
> > > > you opened the door it would all start slipping outside. A piece of
> wood
> > > >
> > > > was placed in the entranceway. Hence the saying a "thresh hold."
> > > >
> > > > 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. They 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 the
> > > > stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. 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 and 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
> > > > "upper crust."
> > > >
> > > > Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would
> > > > sometimes knock them 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 coffins were found to have scratch marks
on
> > > > the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So
> > > > they thought they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse,
lead
> 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". And that's
the
> > > > truth.....
> > > >
> > > > Now, whoever said that History was boring ! ! ! !
> > > >

Dale

The old number 3

Just had a friend ask me to buy him a new old style galvanized washtub, the old #3. Since I have a "Farm and Fleet" store nearby they had one. I asked why not plastic? He said his Mom has an old picture of him as a 2 year old on the farm in NW Minn. taking the weekly bath in one in the 40's and he wanted the same pict for the grand kids. Now we think no hot water for one day is an emergency.