How did you do with Bonus (Part 6): Finding Festive Feasts Quiz?! You can share your answers through project social media.

The first object would’ve probably seen much use in the run up to Christmas, and over the season, by many cooks or kitchen maids – including those at Markeaton, and others in comfortably-off households. Sugar was purchased in ‘loafs’ (large cones), from which pieces were cut when needed, using implements similar to these.

They’d have been used in preparing the sweet dishes consumed at the Christmas parties of the ‘middling-‘ (such as professionals, merchants, and prosperous tradesmen, artisans and farmers), and ‘upper-sorts’ (including the ‘landed gentry’, such as the Mundy family of Markeaton; and nobility), as seen in recipe books of the time.

Those in the poorest homes probably wouldn’t have owned a pair of ‘nippers’, being unable to regularly afford sugar (if at all). Some were able to save a little for Christmas treats; and some were given a few ingredients by well-off households, as part of the Christmas custom of ‘Thomassing’, on or near 21 December (discussed in the Interactive Guide). In such cases, female family members might borrow ‘nippers’ some from better-equipped neighbours. However, it’s possible that sufficient sugar might be literally ‘scraped together’ from others’ left overs, rather than purchasing a whole ‘loaf’ (as was a common practice for other produce, such as tea – for which there was a second-hand market!).

Nippers might’ve been used in the the kitchen by cooks and maids (perhaps including at Markeaton), in preparing the dishes served in the second Bonus Object: a form of tableware generally known as a ‘Chestnut Basket’. This would’ve been used to serve sugary desserts – including glazed chestnuts – the pierced sides allowing syrup to partially drain onto the tray beneath (perhaps to prevent the contents from becoming saturated and soggy, and make serving and eating less messy).

This type of object is unlikely to have been found in the homes of labouring people (who might have instead occasionally eaten dry roast chestnuts), but could’ve been seen on the dining room tables of ‘upper-‘ and ‘middling-sorts’, the contents forming part of a sumptuous seasonal meal. Those of the very wealthy might have been made of the more expensive porcelain, or even silver.

It’d be great to see how everyone did with this quiz – and to know whether it was too hard, or too easy, so that the project can keep improving. So please share your feedback (here)!

This post concludes the Finding Festive Feasts Quiz. The series finishes with a related art and crafts activity; and creative writing competition.

There’ll also be a few more activities (including Christmas crafts) before the holidays. Check back, and / or subscribe to mailing list (using the mailing list signup form), or social media, to be sure not to miss out.