 ~ MRS. SHARP'S TRADITIONS ~  NOTE: The entire text below is taken directly from the book Mrs. Sharp’s Traditions. I cannot take credit in any form for the ideas and creativity on this page unless so noted. The book is written by Sarah Ban Breathnach and is currently out of print. If you can find a copy (the softcover version is called Victorian Family Celebrations), definitely grab it and run…and DON’T lend it to a friend because you’ll probably never get it back! "Happy New Year, dear friends! As we listen to the bells ring out the old year and ring in the new while the clock strikes twelve, let’s hug our loved ones tightly before beginning our walk through a Victorian family’s year together. First we’ll attend a Victorian New Year’s Day open house and then we’ll amuse ourselves with cozy Home-Circle Pastimes (board games, taffy pull, a snow day luncheon and creating a seasonable table). January might seem bleak after the bright lights of Christmas and Chanukah. But Mrs. Sharp believes this season of King Jack Frost offers families enriching opportunities for "getting to know you" with both healthy outdoor pursuits and relaxed indoor pleasures." A century ago New Year’s Day, rather than the night before, was the time for gala entertaining and celebration in the form of New Year’s Day Open Houses, usually held from noon until 6pm. Tradition held that all the ladies of a family (and all boys under the age of ten) remained at home to receive callers while the gentlemen went out to pay visits. During the 1870s in large cities, it was quite fashionable for bachelors to make endless rounds of New Year’s day calls to the homes of eligible young ladies. Not surprisingly, the custom quickly became sport with young men trying to rack up as many as 50 calls a day (being more interested in becoming intoxicated than in meeting their hosts’ eligible daughters), and young women would eagerly collect calling cards as if they were butterfly specimens. By the late 1880s, the hospitality of the day had been so abused that the tradition of New Year’s Day open houses evolved into "family calls" and receptions for invited guests only. Today, of course, there are still many people who enjoy going to, and hosting, New Year’s day open houses. But our family now prefers to stay home, reflecting with anticipation on the days ahead. We also wait to receive a visit from a special guest, Dame Fortune, who might pass by if we’re out and who never leaves a calling card. She always comes laden with gifts – a blank calendar full of endless possibilities: 365 mornings and evenings, 52 fresh weeks, 4 new seasons with their cherished pastimes, and another 12 months full of holidays and ample opportunities for memory-making. To celebrate, Mrs. Sharp’s tradition is a present of brightly wrapped calendars for each family member. The calendars have been "left" on the front doorstep and are usually discovered by the children just before supper. Then we enjoy a traditional Southern New Year’s Day dinner of baked country ham, cornbread and "hoppin John," a dish that has appeared on the New Year’s Day tables of both rich and poor for over a century. Tradition tells us each ingredient insures his and our good fortune – the black-eyed peas, luck; the rice, health; and the collard greens, prosperity. Toys for Victorian children were viewed as tools intended to both amuse and instruct our Rising Generation. Board games were recommended because they imparted gentle moral instruction and often religious training under the guise of diversion. Mrs. Sharp is particularly keen on board games as a way to draw families closer, for playing together provides some of our fondest memories. The dynamics of board games also make them fascinating windows for viewing the people who make up our family. Amidst the laughter and good cheer, the oldsters can gain valuable insights into their youngsters’ personalities; children gain a glimmer of their parents’ limitations and everyone creates memories of home. One family night in January at Mrs. Sharp’s is always reserved for an old-fashioned taffy pull. Fear not, dear Reader. It is not quite as bad as you imagine. Messy, yes. But the pleasure and delight we all experience makes a taffy pull a wonderful winter tradition. Here’s how to do it: In a large saucepan combine 1 ¼ cups light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons mild white vinegar, and 2 tablespoons butter. Stir once and bring the mixture to a quick boil. Let the mixture continue to boil until it registers 270 degrees on a candy thermometer, then add ½ teaspoon vanilla. Pour into a large greased platter and wait 5 minutes or until the taffy is cool enough to handle. Next, don aprons and smocks. Grease everyone’s hands with butter. Poke a hole into the taffy with your fingers; if it stays put, you’re ready to begin. Roll the taffy into a ball. Form two teams of helpers and start pulling, but don’t let the taffy break. Roll the taffy into a ball again and pull. Repeat this process at least five times or until the taffy is light and firm. Stretch it into a twisted rope, cut into small pieces and enjoy! Outside, the snow provides opportunities for old-fashioned family entertainment. All Mrs. Sharp’s children were extremely inventive with their snow creations thanks to the help they received from two well-loved and dog-eared Victorian volumes known as "The Handy Books." Fortunately, there are now contemporary reprints of these 19th century children’s classics. The American Boy’s Handy Book: What to Do and How to Do It (click here to order!) was written by Daniel Beard, one of the founders of the Boy Scouts of America. It’s companion volume is The American Girl’s Handy Book: How to Amuse Yourself and Others (click here to order!) written by Daniel Beard’s two sisters. However, one of Mrs. Sharp’s children’s favorite snow activities takes place before a roaring fire. It’s when Mother serves a Victorian child’s snow luncheon in the front parlor: tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, snowman salad, cocoa with whipped cream and snow ice cream. To make snowman salad, take tinned pear halves and cover with cottage cheese. Add raisins for eyes, nose and mouth, carrot shavings for hair and breadsticks for arms. For old-fashioned cocoa, gently warm milk over a low flame. For each cup of milk, add 1 tablespoon "real" cocoa, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, stirring constantly until the cocoa mixture simmers to the desired temperature, hot but not boiling. Pour and top generously with freshly whipped cream chocolate shavings. For snow ice-cream, take 1 cup milk, 1 beaten egg, 1 tsp. of vanilla and ½ cup sugar. Beat well until frothy. Place mixture in a large bowl and add enough clean, fresh snow until the liquid is completely absorbed by the snow. It will have the consistency of sherbet. After the children have had their luncheon, have everyone create paper snowflakes. In Victorian homes, nothing of Mother Nature’s was wasted or overlooked. Walks in the woods resulted in a bounty of seed pods, moss, grasses, nuts, twigs, and leaves with which to create seasonal handicrafts. Trips to the seashore meant an abundant assortment of ocean shells for display, as well as the raw materials for such novelties as a set of sea urchin candlesticks or a clever catchall for mail and newspapers out of discarded horseshoe crab. Victorian families excelled at the art of creating seasonal "tableaus" or scenes, displayed on tables, in wall-hung shadow boxes, or glass-domed decorative pieces. A wonderful way to begin is with Mrs. Sharp’s tradition of a Seasonal Table. This is a small permanent table in the dining room that reflects, through the objects we choose to display on it, our personal walk through the year together as a family. (Kris’ note: I think this would also display well on a table in the entry/foyer!) The focal point of Mrs. Sharp’s Seasonal Table is our family’s "Seasonal Tree," (directions below) upon which we hang a wondrous assortment of seasonal ornaments. The Seasonal Table is also the place where the children display treasures they discover, such as pretty stones, a bird’s feather, or a few wildflowers, perhaps waxed to preserve their beauty all year long. Besides being an enchanting tradition, the Seasonal Table helps the children develop a sense of the year’s rhythm and an appreciation of the four seasons. We know there will be paper snowflakes and evergreen branches in winter, pussy willow and a bird’s nest in spring, seashells in summer and autumn leaves displayed in the fall. If you have the luxury of time, a Seasonal Tree is a wonderful project for the family to work on together. First you will need to gather together wild grapevines; you need approx. 12 yards of grapevines for an 18 inch cone-shaped tree. Be sure to soak them for at least 48 hours so that they will be pliable and easy to work with. Next take a 2 x 3 foot rectangular piece of chicken wire and wrap it into a tight cone shape. With florist’s wire secure it in place. Now, beginning at the base of the tree, loop a piece of the wet vine into the chicken wire and start to tightly wrap it around the base. Continue in this manner, tucking the ends inside the tree through the holes, until all of the chicken wire has been covered with vines. Secure the vines at the base of the tree to the chicken wire with thin florist’s wire. Let your tree dry completely in a warm spot in the house; in winter this might take 4-5 days. Mrs. Sharp uses a basic decoration of thin silk ribbon (the colors depend on the season), baby’s breath and tiny seasonal ornaments, which are hung on the grapevine tendrils or tucked in around the tree. The real fun for everyone begins when we add dollhouse miniatures in order to create little seasonal scenes; miniatures mirror real life with an astonishing range of accessories all made to a one-inch scale. Starting with just a few pieces at one time, you will be amazed at how quickly your collection grows. It can even become a tradition for each family member to add one miniature per season. Here are some suggestions to get you started: WINTER White tissue-paper snowflakes, "winter" miniatures; ice blue and silver silk ribbon. For Valentine’s Day, assorted fabric, wooden and paper heart ornaments, Victorian "scrap" pictures of cupids, doves and flowers; red and pink silk ribbons. SPRING Tiny green paper shamrocks for St. Patrick’s Day, then Easter miniatures. Pussy willow stems tucked into the tree; soft-pastel-colored silk ribbons. After Easter, tiny gardening tools, seed boxes and flowers. SUMMER Striped red, white and blue ribbons, tiny American flags, picnic miniatures, assorted small seashells, vacation momentos, flowers, and fruit. AUTUMN Miniatures of Indian corn, jack-o-lanterns, tiny trick-or-treat bags, school-days momentos. Next, dried golden yarrow, tiny autumn leaves, pinecones, and wheat stalks. Finally, our tree is topped with silk ribbon streamers in rust, beige and gold. CHRISTMAS Tiny clear twinkle lights, inserted through the chicken wire holes in the frame of the tree so that the cord is disguised. Red, green, and gold silk cords wrapped around the tree in four places. Sprigs of holly, mistletoe, evergreens. At the top, a gold-painted wooden star glued onto a florist’s pick. Add an assortment of miniature Christmas ornaments – each one day during Advent. BIRTHDAYS The night before a child’s birthday "the birthday fairy" redecorates our tree with miniatures of wrapped packages, balloons, a Happy Birthday banner, and birthday cake. WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO?
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