Happy Lady-Day!

Today, March 25, is what Jane Austen and her Regency contemporaries knew as "Lady-Day." In the Church of England calendar, it was (and still is) the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary--that is, the day when the Angel Gabriel visited Mary to tell her that she was to become the mother of Christ. In the Regency calendar, it was one of the four "quarter days" on which important business was transacted. In particular--as Co-Coordinator Lisa Brown explained in Rochester on March 20, and will explain again in Binghamton on April 10--it was the day of the agricultural new year, and accordingly the day on which farm workers either renewed their contracts with their employers or sought new ones.

It was also the date of at least one important financial transaction in the Austen family. On December 9, 1808, Jane Austen wrote to her sister Cassandra that "my Uncle and Aunt [James and Jane Leigh Perrot, Mrs. George Austen's brother and sister-in-law] are going to allow James [the oldest Austen son] 100 pounds a year....The Hundred a year begins next Ladyday." In retrospect, we might well ask ourselves whether the wealthy Leigh Perrots couldn't have allotted the 100 pounds a year to Jane and Cassandra, who arguably needed the money even more than James and his family. However, as Jane herself expressed no open resentment on the occasion, let us as her 21st-century admirers try not to express any.

And if you'd like to learn more about the Regency "quarter days" and "cross-quarter days," do come to the JASNA Syracuse meeting at RiverRead Books, 5 Court St., Binghamton, on Saturday, April 10, at 2:00 PM. Regency history? Information about joining JASNA? Live English country dance music? The company of your fellow Janeites? Who could resist?

Whatever Shall I Wear?

Co-coordinator Lisa Brown reprises her popular workshop on assembling a Regency wardrobe on Sunday, March 7 at 5:00 pm in Rochester at the Friends Meeting House at 84 Scio St. Learn how to tie a cravat, choose a dress pattern, curl on ostrich feather and much more. A savory tea (optional) will be served during the presentation for a cost of $5.00.




Ball Dress from 1815

"Pride and Prejudice" at Skaneateles High School

Late-breaking news: "The Skaneateles High School Drama Program will present Jane Austen’s romantic comedy Pride and Prejudice March 4, 5 and 6 at 7:30 p.m. at Skaneateles High School. For tickets, call 291-2296. Tickets cost $7 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens. All of the wit and romance of Jane Austen's classic 1813 novel comes to life in this refreshingly fast-paced and engaging new adaptation by renowned producer and director Jon Jory."

This much is from the Skaneateles Central School District website--but your Regional Coordinator has also just learned that Hana Polacek (one of the Young Ladies from Joanna Manring's Jane Austen Singing School for Young Ladies) will be playing Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Yours truly is going to try to catch one of the performances this weekend for this reason alone, and encourages all CNY Janeites who can manage it to do the same!