Celebrating Twelfth Night–Jane in January and You

Who can resist a holiday party? In Jane Austen’s day, the party of the year would generally be held on Twelfth Night.

How do you think Jane Austen’s characters would celebrate? Check out below for some ideas.

What might the Bennet’s do? Mr. Darcy? What about Mr. Wickham? Tell me in the comments and enter for a chance to win an ebook copy of any of my Christmas books.


Twelfth Night Revels

Epiphany or Twelfth Night (Jan 5 or 6 depending on who was counting) was the exciting climax of the Christmastide season and a time for putting away social norms. It was a feast day to mark the coming of the Magi bearing gifts to the Christ child, and as such was the traditional day to exchange gifts. Decorations were to be taken down and burned by midnight on this day or the household would face bad luck for the rest of the year. Some believed that for every branch that remained a goblin would appear.  

Twelfth Night Characters

Revels, masks and balls were the order of the day and night. Typically each guest would randomly select a character to play by drawing a slip of paper from a hat or bag.  Some hostesses would send characters around to her guests so that they could come already dressed as their character.  Others might provide dress up items for their guests to don after characters had been chosen.   Guests had to remain in character for the entire evening. If a guest broke out of character during the night they would have to pay a forfeit later.

Besides the King and Queen, a variety of characters, were often pulled from popular literature and plays. Common characters were Sir Gregory Goose, Sir Tumbelly Clumsy, Miss Fanny Fanciful and Mrs. Candour. Sets of pre-made characters could be purchased from stationers, or a family might copy them from books on games and merry-making.

Rachel Revel offered an extensive set of characters in her book as well as instructions that as each character is drawn the conductor of the game arrange them in order of their number and when all the guests have characters, they may each read lines to introduce their character in turn. 

For example:

Twelfth Night Characters

1. King: Fate decrees me your King: grave and gay,wise and fools, Must consent, for this night, to submit to my rules.

2. Queen:  I’m your Queen: good my liege, your confessor, may shrive  you; But for me, I’m resolved, if I can’t lead I’ll drive you.

3. Lord Spendthrift: Blood, for money, Lord Spendthrift is ready to barter, If some rich maid will purchase a Knight of the garter.

4. Molly Mumper:  Molly Mumper wants a husband: Baron, or Duke, she cares  not which; If you’ll marry a beggar’s heiress, she’ll promise to make you  rich.

5. Lucy Leerwell:  “Tis so humdrum to live single, Lucy Leerwell would prefer, On some facetious youth, her hand and fortune to confer.

6. Joe Giber:  Take Joe Giber, the king’s jester, he’s the fellow for your yoke, Tho’ marriage, it must be confess’d, by most wits is counted no joke.

7- Miss All-agog:  Miss All-agog’s a candid girl, who hates monastic vows, And she will never take the veil if she can get a spouse.

8. Sam Sadboy:  Sam Sadboy’s neither monk nor friar; he sees into your views:Marry him, you may cast off your veil, and the rest of your deeds when you choose.

9. Miss Romance: Miss Romance to accept for her partner proposes, One who’ll print in his press ev’ry work she composes…

Servants were often included in the revelries. This could become particularly interesting when one became the king or queen for the evening.

Mince Meat PieTwelfth001

Though many dishes graced the tables for Twelfth Night revelry, two particular dishes were known for their connection to Twelfth Night. Most considered mince meat pies, also known as Christmas or Twelfth Night pies staples for a Christmas feast. Recipes varied by region, but usually included beef, poultry and other meats, suet, sugar, raisins or currants, spices, orange and lemon peel, eggs, apples and brandy.

Leftovers from the Christmas feast would be used to make pies for the twelve days until Epiphany. Eating minced pie every day of the twelve days of Christmas was said to bring twelve months of happiness in the new year. To strengthen the charm, the pies must be baked by the dozen and offered by friends.  

Twelfth Night Cake

A special Twelfth Cake, would be the centerpiece of the party. The cakes were elaborate creations with sugar frosting, gilded paper trimmings, and sometimes delicate plaster of Paris or sugar paste figures.

In towns, confectioners would display these cakes in their shop windows, illuminated by small lamps so the displays could be admired during winter evenings. Recipes for Twelfth Cake do not appear in print until 1803, although either of these recipes might have been used prior to that to make it.  

 To Make a Rich Cake

Take four pounds of flour dried and sifted, seven pounds of currants washed and rubbed, six pounds of the best fresh butter, two pounds of Jordan almonds blanched, and beaten with orange flower water and sack till fine; then take four pounds of eggs, put half the whites away, three pounds of double-refined sugar beaten and sifted, a quarter of an ounce of mace, the same of cloves and cinnamon, three large nutmegs, all beaten fine, a little ginger, half a pint of sack, half a pint of right French brandy, sweet-meats to your liking, they must be orange, lemon, and citron; work your butter to a cream with your hands before any of your ingredients are in; then put in your sugar, and mix all well together; let your eggs be well beat and strained through a sieve, work in your almonds first, then put in your eggs, beat them together till they look white and thick; then put in your sack, brandy and spices, shake your flour in be degrees, and when your oven is ready, put in your currants and sweet-meats as you put it in your hoop: it will take four hours baking in a quick oven: you must keep it beating with your hand all the while you are mixing of it, and when your currants are well washed and cleaned, let them be kept before the fire, so that they may go warm into your cake. This quantity will bake best in two hoops.

~Hannah Glasse

To make icing for a Bride Cake.

Almond Iceing for the Bride Cake. Take the whites of six eggs, a pound and half of double refined sugar; beat a pound of jordan almonds, blanch them,  and pound fine in  a Iittle rose water; mix all together, and whisk it well for an hour or two; then lay   over your cake, and put it in an oven.

 ~Every woman her own housekeeper  John Perkins  1790

The End of Twelfth Night Revels

Although Twelfth Night revelry could be peaceable and even family-friendly, it often became quite riotous as rowdy games and large quantities of highly alcoholic punch were the order of the evening. In the 1870′s, Queen Victoria outlawed the celebration of Twelfth Night in fear the celebrations had become out of control.

So tell me, what do you imagine your favorite Jane Austen characters doing on this night?

 

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    • Glynis on January 5, 2018 at 3:00 am
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    I imagine Mr Bennet would hide in his library with a good book and a glass of port. Mr Wickham would get as much free drink as he could and try to seduce a few women.
    As for Mr Darcy it would depend if he had managed to win Elizabeth, if he hadn’t I can see him alone in his study, lonely and thinking of how different his life could be with her. But if he had managed to marry her she would enjoy the celebrations and if course he would indulge her (and keep away any predators!)
    I don’t like to think of how Lydia and Kitty would celebrate as there would definitely be some improprieties involved (at least with Lydia!)
    Thank you for this post and the recipes (unfortunately I don’t have a big enough oven to make any of them 😉.
    Unless Amazon US have changed their recent policy about allowing downloads to the UK I will have to pass on the giveaway😥.

    1. No need to pass on the giveaway, I can send you a book directly, no need to bother Amazon.

    • Maria Maderi on January 5, 2018 at 9:02 am
    • Reply

    Darcy and Elizabeth have only close family and friends over for music and games at Pemberly

    1. That’s rather how I imagine them too.

    • J. W. Garrett on January 5, 2018 at 9:11 am
    • Reply

    You know… it is a wonder people didn’t die from food-poisoning. Oh yeah… they did. Man those recipes were something… whisk it well for and hour or two…OMG!

    I agree with Glynis on many of her choices.

    Lydia, Kitty and Mrs. Bennet would hit the punch bowl and imbibe too much. Mr. Bennet would be in the library with his port and a book ignoring everyone. Mary would be on the sidelines aghast at the antics of the revelers. Or ignoring everyone and reading.

    Lizzy would be trying to rein in her mother and younger sisters. Damage control! Mr. Collins would be trailing after Lizzy hoping to propose before the end of twelfth-night. I know Lizzy would love to find the library; however, I think she would feel the need to keep down a scandal with her sisters and mother.

    Mr. Bingley and Jane would be together. Charlotte would be watching everything and understanding completely what needed to be done to secure her future. Lady Catherine would be at Rosings stewing over how she could manage her nephew into doing his duty. Darcy would be watching Lizzy from the sidelines or in the library with Mr. Bennet.

    Wickham would be in a closet with someone doing what he does best. Hopefully, it isn’t with Lydia… although, it is probable. Let’s hope he didn’t grab Mrs. Bennet instead… those masks can be confusing. She was a beauty you know. Now that would be a scandal. OMG! Where did that come from? You know, Mr. Bennet joked in the beginning of P&P that they might like her best… she was a beauty.

  1. Wickham and Mrs. Bennet! Oh my, there’s a thought…

    • StephanieL on January 5, 2018 at 10:56 am
    • Reply

    “…whisk it well for an hour or two” ummmmmm man am I glad for my Viking! LOL I love to bake but I think I would have given it up if that was the case. Sheesh. I love the choices of what people would be doing. I nearly spit out my tea with the image of Wickham stealing into a closet with Mrs. Bennet. ROFL Ah well. Marianne would be scheming so that she and Willoughby would have partnered characters…Elinor somewhat frustrated with the craziness ensuing. Emma would be right in the middle of it assigning characters to those that she thought would suit while Mr. Knightley hoped in his heart that just for once she’d see love in his eyes instead of censure. Mr. Woodhouse would be lamenting the content of that rich cake and telling everyone how very quickly they were going to die from all that sugar consumption.

    1. I so love this peek at other Austen characters! Thanks Stephanie!

    • DarcyBennett on January 5, 2018 at 1:11 pm
    • Reply

    I imagine Elizabeth and Mr Darcy having friends and family over listening to Georgiana and Elizabeth playing the pianoforte.

    1. So do I.

    • Lynn Char on January 5, 2018 at 2:07 pm
    • Reply

    Lizzy and Darcy would be hosting a wonderful party for their neighbors where only a few were “overserved”. Georgiana would be sent to bed early. Charles and Jane would of course be with the Darcy’s and would not be at all intoxicated! Mr and Mrs Bennet would be at the Philips home with a large party of noisy, intoxicated people. Mr Bennet would of course remain at home. Lydia and Wickham would be drunk early and fall asleep in their party clothes.

    The Knightleys would have be having a quiet party with only a select few in residence. Mr Woodhouse would be seated before the fire with Mrs Bates nearby for conversation. The Elton’s would be invited, of course, but they would decline and sit before their own fire gossiping about the people who are at the Knightleys.

    The Wentworth family would be aboard ship, hopefully in a warm climate where the party would commence on board with Anne and Frederick going to their cabin early, leaving the sailors to enjoy the evening with some extra punch and a bit of revelry.

    1. I love the idea of the Wentworth’s celebration!

  2. I love Twelfth Night!! As Anglicans, we gather at our rector’s home and start with Evening Prayer and then the Burning of the Greens. (My boys have always LOVED this part!) We finish up with sherry and trifle and a King’s Cake. It’s soooooo fun!!

    Happy Twelfth Day of Christmas, everyone!!

    Warmly,
    Susanne 🙂

    1. We actually celebrate Twelfth Night with my family too.

    • Anji on January 5, 2018 at 4:18 pm
    • Reply

    Twelfth Night for some of Jane Austen’s characters:
    Sense and Sensibilty – maybe the Brandons would host a small but elegant celebration, to which the Willoughbys definitely WOULDN’T be invited.
    Pride and Prejudice – if it’s after Darcy and Elizabeth’s wedding, then a masked ball at Pemberley, to which the Wickhams wouldn’t be invited.
    Mansfield Park – there could be a ball at Mansfield Park, but maybe not an elaborate one and Mrs. Norris and Maria Rushworth would be persona non grata here.
    Emma – I can envisage the Knightleys hosting some sort of celebration at Donwell Abbey. Mr. Woodhouse and Mrs. Bates would be tucked away in some quiet secluded corner and Mrs. Elton would have done her best to tell the Knitleys how best to arrange it all. The Churchills would most likely be at Enscombe for their own celebrations.
    Northanger Abbey – maybe everyone would decamp to Eleanor’s home for a masked ball
    Persuasion – if the Wentworths weren’t at sea, I could see them celebrating with the Crofts at Kellynch. The Musgroves would all,be in Uppercross, I think, and the remaining Elliots hoping for an invitation from the Dalrymples.

    1. LOL–hoping for an invitation form the Dalrymples! Love that!

    • Lex on January 5, 2018 at 5:25 pm
    • Reply

    I can’t imagine Mr. Darcy participating before Elizabeth! “But disguise of every sort is my abhorrence.” — does that include Twelfth Night Characters too?

    The Mansfield Park group would certainly have celebrated if they were okay with performing “Lovers’ Vows.” They would certainly use the celebrations as an excuse for their…personal ambitions.

    I received “A Jane Austen Christmas: Regency Christmas Traditions” as a Christmas gift last year! 🙂

    1. I’ve always thought that Darcy would have a time with ‘fancy dress’ too. Can’t see costumes being his thing. 😉

    • Carol on January 5, 2018 at 5:26 pm
    • Reply

    I guess this would depend if couples were married or not. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet would be separated from one another. She at her sister Phillip’s house, him in his library with a good book and port. Wickhams if married both drunk not necessarily together: she flirting with anything in a red coat, him with some woman dumb enough to buy his hard luck stories and sleazy grin. Darcy would be in town trying to figure out how to avoid his Aunt Matlock’s Twelfth Night Ball crawling with all of this season’s daughters and their mothers. Lizzy would probably enjoy doing whatever, because she doesn’t remain melancholy for long. If Darcy is married to Lizzy, they probably are joining the Matlocks for the ball and he might actually enjoy it with Lizzy on his arm. Lady Matlock needs to introduce her to the TON so a ball is as good as any social function. Or,the Darcys have already gone to Pemberley and have a neighborhood ball of their own. Its at Pemberley, Jane and Charles are already there sin e they learned living three miles from Longbourn is too close for comfort!

    1. I think three miles from Longbourn would definitely be too close!

    • Deborah on January 6, 2018 at 9:51 pm
    • Reply

    The choice of the characters for the Twelfth Night celebration are interesting. It certainly would be interesting for a seervant to be chosen as king. Oh, to be a fly on the wall for that night. I may try a smaller recipe of te traditional mince pie (very fresh meat). It might be interesting.

    1. That would be for sure, wouldn’t it?

  1. […] She also explains the social side of Twelfth Night: “In Jane Austen’s day, the party of the year would generally be held on Twelfth Night.” (Austen Variations) […]

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