Weirdest Random History Facts You Won’t Believe: Part 1 #shorts #history
The Middle Ages Weren’t Smelly!
When we think of the medieval period, what tends to come to mind? People in stocks? Knights? Smelly peasants covered in dung? Well, contrary to popular imagination, medieval people weren’t smelly at all! In fact, medieval Europeans took bathing very seriously. They had whole bathhouses specially designed to wash in. It wasn’t always easy to keep clean in medieval times, but they viewed being clean with lots of importance! Later people, like the Georgians and the Tudors, might not have been so hygienic though!
2. People Used To Lock Up Their Tea!
You might think people love tea today, but the lengths they went to in Stuart and Georgian Britain was a bit bonkers! Back then, tea was imported from China and therefore VERY expensive, and only the rich could afford it. It was so expensive, in fact, that special tea boxes were made with locks on them, so no one could steal your tea! It was always kept where the mistress of the house could see it, which is why tea making because such an occasion! You wouldn’t trust your servants to make you a cuppa! Would you lock up your Yorkshire Gold teabags today?
3. Napoleon Wasn’t That Short
If you know one thing about Napoleon, you know that he was short. Except he wasn’t. He was actually 5’6, which was the average height for men of the time! He was probably made fun of as ‘little’ in propaganda pictures by his enemies, to make him seem less powerful, but Napoleon himself was no shorter than most men! He also liked to surround himself with very tall soldiers, which probably made him look smaller too.
4. Britain Once Banned Christmas
Can you think of anything worse? But it’s true, between 1644 and 1660, Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell ( a sort of unelected Prime Minister) banned the Celebration of Christmas! Cromwell was a Puritan, a sort of very strict Christian who believed that fun things like dancing, music and even make up were sinful and upset God. Unsurprisingly, this wasn’t very popular, and there were even riots over it! The English might not have liked it, but the Scots weren’t as bothered – in Scotland there was no Christmas celebration from 1640 until…1958! Well, it wasn’t a public holiday anyway. That means your great grandad might have had to go to work on Christmas!
