Renaissance Fairs Are Festivals of Spring
Here is a list of over 180 Renaissance Faires by state.
Renaissance fairs were celebrated as festivals of spring. A
celebration of the end of another harsh winter, and the promise
of the rebirth of the land and the new crops to come. The
essentials of mediaeval life that were celebrated every year
between the end of winter and the beginning of spring.
 During the renaissance period, winters were known to be harsh,
and many people failed to survive. You had to work to live in these far-off days, and those that were unable to work did not
survive. What little food there was had to be hidden away before
it was taken by the landowners and lords for their own winter
stores. There were no shops to pop into in those days. You were
left to forage for your own food, so there is no surprise in
them celebrating the end of winter in this way.
Renaissance stands for 'rebirth': the rebirth of the countryside
and the appearance of fresh young shoots and spring lambs and
calves, promising a plentiful supply of grain and meat for the
summer and autumn to come. The renaissance faires with their
jesters and mummers, their actors and minstrels, were attended
by everyone in the surrounding area who came to be entertained,
fed and watered with the food and drink laid out for everybody
to partake in the celebrations.
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These periods of celebration of the end of winter and beginning
of spring are reenacted in America and elsewhere in the world in
the form of Renaissance Fairs that involve dressing up,
entertainment and lots of food and drink presented to represent
the period in history being celebrated.
 Renaissance Faires in America were originally intended to be reenactments of the real things, but are now a mix of the old
and the new. Queen Elizabeth and her dandified consorts mix with
characters wearing Lord of the Rings costumes, and authentically
dressed lords and ladies with their renaissance costumes mix
with the fictional Three Musketeers and others wearing popular
movie costumes. Roast beef and English ale are on offer from
landlords who don fantasy costumes made from their own
imagination, while others eat pork with their fingers while
supping a cup of mead or small beer.
The true English renaissance period occurred during the 15th and
16th centuries, during most of the Tudor reign. King Henry VIII
and Queen Elizabeth I are the two most famous monarchs of the
era, and this is seen by the costumes worn by those who try to
emulate them, in appearance if not in deeds. Traditional
Renaissance Faires have the Elizabethan parade as part of their
entertainment, with Queen Elizabeth and Henry VIII even
sometimes appearing together. It might be taking a liberty with
history, but it is entertaining.
 Participants wear the costume that they deem suitable for the
period, and it is not unknown for popular movie characters to
make the occasional appearance, such as the foresaid Three
Musketeers, and also Mary Queen of Scots, but with her body and
head complete. Admission is normally required for these events,
but is well worth the money. The food and drink are normally
marvelous and frequently authentically cooked - or not, as the
case may be!
Many American Renaissance Faires insist on authenticity, not only
in dress, but right through to the language used and music
played. It is said that Henry VIII himself wrote the tune
'Greensleeves' and lutes and timbrels, or other forms of
mediaeval drums, are the order of the day. Some 'faires' are
based on a specific part of the renaissance period, or even a
specific year, and many are given the name of a fictitious
village or town.
Some are specifically Elizabethan with lots of Elizabeths, Sir
Walter  Raleighs and Francis Drakes mingling with the crowd.
Ruffs and stockings form the neck a leg decoration of choice for
men and women alike.
Renaissance faires can last for a day or a weekend, and the
social events normally portray specific aspects of life during
that period in English history, with cookery demonstrations and
musical renditions using the instruments of the period. If you
have a chance to attend one, don't miss it.
A renaissance fair, or renaissance faire as it is often written,
is not only an educational experience of what life was like
before computers, cinema, TV and rock & roll, but also great
fun. As you take part, just take a little time to quietly think
about the life of ordinary people in these bygone days, and how
harsh it must have been in the winter for its ending to be
celebrated in this fashion - http://HistoricalWeaponsStore.com
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aissance-outfiits.html for elegant medieval costumes and
accesories and schedules of renaissance faires all over the
United States.
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Here is a list of over 180 Renaissance Faires by state. |
