Claire | April 6, 2023
Today is Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday. On this day, Christians remember the Last Supper, where Jesus Christ enjoyed his final meal with his disciples, and where he washed their feet. On Maundy Thursday, Christ’s act of washing his disciples’ feet was re-enacted from at least 13th century by the pope, who would wash the […]
Claire | March 1, 2023
“Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus!” to all those celebrating today, whether you live in Wales or have Welsh ancestry. I know my parents in Wales will have a bunch of daffodils brightening up their home. Why am I writing about St David’s Day on a blog about Tudor history? Well, because the Tudors came from Welsh […]
Claire | February 21, 2023
Today is Shrove Tuesday, so time to enjoy some yummy foods before Lent begins tomorrow. Shrove Tuesday is, of course, part of Shrovetide, something that was celebrated by Tudor people. Here’s a video I did with Teasel the dog on Shrovetide… And here’s a video of the best pancake chef I know – my husband, […]
Claire | January 6, 2023
Today, 6th January, is Epiphany or Kings’ Day or Three Kings’ Day – Happy Epiphany! Feliz día de los Reyes! Epiphany is a huge celebration here in Spain. The Three Kings visited our village last night with sweets and presents, and we’ve been tucking into our Roscón de Reyes, our special Kings’ Day cake. Unfortunately, […]
Claire | December 28, 2022
28th December was an important part of the Twelve Days of Christmas in England in Tudor times. It was the Feast of the Holy Innocents, also known as Childermas. Let me explain the origin of Childermas and how Tudor people marked the day… Transcript:
Claire | December 26, 2022
Today is the Feast of St Stephen, which is also known as Boxing Day in the UK. How did the Tudors celebrate St Stephen’s Day? Let me tell you, before moving on to talking about this day in 1546, when an ill Henry VIII made some changes to his will in preparation for his nine-year-old […]
Claire | December 25, 2022
A very Merry Christmas to you all! I hope you have a wonderful time whatever you are doing today. In the video and transcript below, I explain how the Tudors celebrated Christmas before moving on to an “on this day” event, the death of Lettice Knollys (married names: Devereux, Dudley and Blount), a woman Elizabeth […]
Claire | December 12, 2022
It’s time for another treat from this year’s Anne Boleyn Files Advent Calendar. Today’s Tudor treat from me will keep you busy. It’s a whole magazine to read, and it’s Christmassy too. I do hope you can set aside some time to enjoy reading its articles. To get access to today’s treat, and any you’ve […]
