The Joys of a Victorian Christmas by Tara Kingston

Welcome back to History Undressed, guest author and my good friend, Tara Kingston! (Okay, and I must plug this! Tara and I have an anthology releasing in print together on January 9th! PIRATE'S PAST has her tale, Claimed by the Captain and my tale, A Pirate's Bounty!) Today Tara's giving us a taste of Christmas during the Victorian era. Leave a comment for your chance to win an ecopy of CLAIMED BY THE CAPTAIN! Happy Holidays!

 

The Joys of a Victorian Christmas

By

Tara Kingston

Trimming the Christmas tree is a favorite tradition in my family. Every year, I relish the chance to reflect on cherished memories triggered by ornaments that have a sentimental place in my heart and add to my ornament collection with new and beautiful acquisitions that will someday become treasured favorites. I can’t imagine Christmas without a beautiful tree. Without the influence of the Victorians, decorated Christmas trees as well as many other holiday favorites  might never have become beloved traditions.

Victorian Christmas traditions were centered around the family. Of these enduring celebrations, perhaps the most beloved is the Christmas tree. Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert,  brought the custom of a decorated Christmas tree from his German homeland. Not long after his marriage to Victoria, Prince Albert had the first Christmas tree displayed in Windsor Castle in 1841. Several years later, the Illustrated London News published a drawing of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their children celebrating the holiday with a Christmas tree, and soon thereafter, families throughout England boasted a decorated tree during the Christmas season.

Many other popular Christmas traditions became popular during Victoria’s reign. Some of these include:

* Christmas Cards ~ the combination of the halfpenny postage rate, which allowed a letter or card to be mailed throughout England inexpensively, and the advances in affordable color printing technology brought Christmas cards to popularity. By 1880, more than eleven million cards were produced each year.

* Exchanging Christmas Presents ~ The giving of small gifts at New Year’s shifted to become a central part of the Victorian holiday tradition. Gifts were given and placed under the tree in anticipation of the holiday.

* Christmas Carols ~ Yet another Victorian tradition, the singing of favorite holiday songs (which were at the time new and popular hits) to mark the holiday season emerged during this era, as did the custom of traveling in groups from house to house to joyously sing Christmas carols.

* Christmas Vacation ~ During the Victorian era, middle class families began the tradition of taking time off from work to spend with their families.

* Mistletoe ~ Who can resist a kiss beneath the mistletoe? This girl certainly can’t! What a lovely holiday tradition!

These are just a few of the more popular Victorian holiday traditions that continue to endure today. In the spirit of gift giving, I’ll be giving away a copy of Claimed by the Captain to one commenter. Simply tell us which holiday tradition is your favorite and why…it does NOT need to be one of these five. Many more Victorian traditions remain popular favorites. What are some of your favorite traditions?

I’d also love your friendship this holiday season. You can find me on Facebook and Twitter, or stop by my blog or webpage.

Merry Christmas! May you have a wonderful holiday season!

Guest Author Tara Kingston on Pirates, Privateers, and Hollywood

Today on History Undressed, I'd like to welcome Tara Kingston back! Pirates have always fascinated me, and Hollywood certainly does a great job of perpetuating that fascination. Thanks for stopping by Tara and giving us a closer look!

Pirates, Privateers, and Hollywood

by Tara Kingston

As I begin this post, I need to make two confessions. First, I’m a movie buff. I admit it. I’m hooked. A good movie is one of my favorite things in life. And second, I love pirate movies. Not just pirates, actually. Pirates, privateers, sea captains…love ‘em. Maybe it’s no coincidence I married a sailor. Something about the lure of the sea gets me every time.

Pirates and privateers throughout history were both feared and celebrated. Jean Lafitte, a hero in the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812, was a smuggler and pirate (he claimed to be a privateer rather than a pirate, though the American government charged him with piracy). Transforming from pirate to patriot, he offered Andrew Jackson his assistance against the British in exchange for a pardon for his crew in 1814. The National Park Service maintains the Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve in southern Louisiana as a lasting tribute to the pirate and patriot’s contributions to our country’s history. Blackbeard, the infamous English pirate captain of Queen Anne’s Revenge, died off the coast of North Carolina in a fierce battle with Royal Navy forces in 1718. Tourist shops in the Outer Banks of North Carolina stock souvenirs with Blackbeard’s name and visage and references to the notorious pirate abound throughout Outer Banks villages nearly four hundred years after his death.

Given the ongoing fascination with pirates and privateers, it’s little wonder Hollywood has used the swashbucklers as subjects for dozens of movies. Of course, the Hollywood pirate is quite a bit more handsome and appealing than I imagine the actual buccaneers really were. I suspect many of them looked a good deal more like Captain Barbossa than Captain Jack Sparrow of Pirates of the Caribbean fame.

Speaking of Captain Jack, he’s my all-time favorite Hollywood swashbuckler (big surprise, huh?). Even though he wears more eye makeup than I do, I can’t resist him. Of course, Johnny Depp has a lot to do with that, but the pirate persona in general is so appealing. Who wouldn’t want to be swept off for a few days on a desert island with a man like that? Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan became pirates in their own right, adding to the Hollywood caveat that good pirates are gorgeous and bad pirates are…well, you can figure that one out…

The Princess Bride is another favorite…who can forget The Dread Pirate Roberts? If you’re a classic movie buff, Errol Flynn’s Captain Blood was memorable…Flynn might have been before our time, but on film, he’s still as handsome as ever. Cutthroat Island was much maligned, but Geena Davis’ turn as a daring female pirate was a refreshing change, in my opinion, and Matthew Modine was certainly worth a look or two (or three or four…).

My love of pirate movies partly inspired my Ellora’s Cave debut, Claimed by the Captain, is the story of an American privateer who’s seized his enemy’s daughter as payback for a devastating act that destroyed his family. Here’s a little about the story:

Jason Kane lost everything to one man’s treachery. Thirsting for vengeance, the ruthless privateer abducts Catherine Farrell, daughter of the swindler who destroyed his family. Intending to extract the debt owed him from his tempting prisoner, he plans a cold-blooded conquest. Aroused by his captive’s sensual beauty, he claims her with seductive persuasion. As he plunges her into a world of pleasure, her passionate surrender sparks a deep longing in his heart and soul.

Catherine Farrell lived the sheltered life of a prosperous merchant’s daughter until Captain Jason Kane made her a pawn in his quest for retribution. Claimed by the captain, she finds herself at the mercy of a man who will settle for nothing less than complete domination. His tender mastery awakens Catherine’s passions and stirs her heart. If only she can convince him that love is far more satisfying than sweet revenge.



For an excerpt and to learn more about Claimed by the Captain, please check out the Ellora’s Cave site.

So, what’s your favorite pirate movie? Leave a comment by Friday, August 5 for a chance to win a free e-book of Claimed by the Captain.

After you’ve done that, please stop by my website, http://www.tarakingston.com/. Leave a comment there (again, by August 5) for another chance to win. I’m on Twitter and Facebook. Hope to see you there!

Guest Author Tara Kingston on Privateers Throughout History

Today on History Undressed, I'd like to welcome fellow Ellora's Cave author and friend, Tara Kingston. This month sees Tara's debut release and it is fantastic!  Hot, intruiguing and filled with adventure. Tara's written an article giving us a bit of history on privateers!

Privateers Throughout History

by Tara Kingston

Eye patches, earrings, and walking the plank…these images fill our thoughts when we hear the word pirate. I suspect the word privateer does not garner nearly the same reaction. Authorized by a government to attack enemy ships, privateers have served a purpose in warfare in addition to seizing cargo and vessels for profit. By disrupting trade and commandeering ships into military service, privateers aided their government while filling their own coffers.

Unlike a military ship that aimed to sink an enemy vessel, a privateer aimed to capture vessels and plunder their cargos. Privateers proved to be a significant force in naval warfare during the sixteenth through nineteenth centuries. Though not formally commissioned as warships, privateers sailed under the authorization granted in a letter of marque, a formal contract between the government and the privateer. A letter of marquee provided formal authorization for the privateer’s activities, spelling out the nationalities of ships the privateer was allowed to attack and the territory in which it could operate while ensuring the government would retain a share of the plundered goods.

Throughout history, privateers have made their mark. Privateers such as Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Hawkins aided Britain’s quest for naval superiority against the Spanish Armada in the sixteenth century, becoming national heroes in the process. Two centuries later, American privateers played a significant role in the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and even the Civil War. In one famous incident, notorious privateer Jean Lafitte led his crew to help General Andrew Jackson defend New Orleans against the British Navy during the Battle of New Orleans in the latter days of the War of 1812.

My Ellora’s Cave debut, Claimed by the Captain, is the story of an American privateer bent on revenge against the swindler who destroyed his family and the woman who’s swept up in his quest for vengeance. Here’s a little about the story:

Jason Kane lost everything to one man’s treachery. Thirsting for vengeance, the ruthless privateer abducts Catherine Farrell, daughter of the swindler who destroyed his family. Intending to extract the debt owed him from his tempting prisoner, he plans a cold-blooded conquest. Aroused by his captive’s sensual beauty, he claims her with seductive persuasion. As he plunges her into a world of pleasure, her passionate surrender sparks a deep longing in his heart and soul.


Catherine Farrell lived the sheltered life of a prosperous merchant’s daughter until Captain Jason Kane made her a pawn in his quest for retribution. Claimed by the captain, she finds herself at the mercy of a man who will settle for nothing less than complete domination. His tender mastery awakens Catherine’s passions and stirs her heart. If only she can convince him that love is far more satisfying than sweet revenge.

You can find more information about the story at my website, http://www.tarakingston.com/ or at the Ellora’s Cave site. Hope you’ll stop by.

Leave a comment about this post and you’ll be entered to win a free e-copy of Claimed by the Captain. The winner will be announced next Monday, June 20.