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Claire | April 16, 2017
Today is Easter Sunday and Christians around the world will be celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Tudor times, an Easter sepulchre had been prepared on Good Friday. This sepulchre represented the sealed tomb Christ had been laid to rest in following his crucifixion. It consisted of a stone or wooden niche filled with […]
Claire | April 13, 2017
This day in history, 13th April 1536, was Maundy Thursday – as it is this year – the day which commemorates the Last Supper, that final meal that Jesus Christ had with his disciples before his arrest. It was to be the last time that Anne Boleyn would carry out the traditional duties of a […]
Claire | March 21, 2017
A Facebook post by the BBC has just alerted me to the fact that it is World Poetry Day today. How can I be a literature lover and not know that? Oh dear! I love so many poems, but because I have a rather soft spot for Thomas Wyatt the Elder I will share one […]
Claire | March 1, 2017
Happy St David’s Day! Yes, 1st March is the feast day of St David (Dewi Sant), the patron saint of Wales. Why am I posting about that on the Anne Boleyn Files? I hear you ask. Well, one reason is that I’m half Welsh and my Welsh roots are important to me, but the main […]
Claire | February 28, 2017
Today is Shrove Tuesday, the last of the three days of Shrovetide and the last chance to enjoy yourself before Lent, which was a period of fasting (no meat, eggs, cheese or sex) in Tudor times. As I said in my post yesterday, Shrove Tuesday was marked with court celebrations and entertainment such as jousting, […]
Claire | February 26, 2017
Today is Shrove Sunday, the seventh Sunday before Easter and the beginning of Shrovetide. Shrovetide comprises three days: Shrove Sunday, Collop Monday and Shrove Tuesday. The word “Shrove” comes from “shriving”, the confession of sins and the receiving of absolution for them, and Shrovetide was time to prepare for Lent and the last opportunity to […]
Claire | February 2, 2017
No, I haven’t gone mad and I’m not drunk, I just felt that it was my civic responsibility to alert you to the risk of goblins today. Now I know that the shops have been full of Easter eggs since New Year [sigh…], but the Christmas season does not officially end until the Feast of […]
Claire | January 13, 2017
If you haven’t already noticed, today is Friday 13th, the so-called unlucky day which has given its name to slasher movies and leads some people to change their plans for the day. I’m not very suspicious, although I will occasionally say “touch wood” after saying something good, but I do find superstitions interesting. I did […]
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