I’m an information nerd. Even as a child, nothing thrilled me more than learning something new. From the smallest bit of trivia to the most involved research, I love digging in to a new subject and learning all that I can about it. This proclivity has led me to collect a bunch of degrees (I couldn’t choose just one subject to study) and it is also one of the many reasons (besides working in my pajamas) that writing is a perfect career for me.
As I start a new book, the possibilities of where to set it, what kind of careers my main characters should have and what time period it should take place in, stretch before me like a blank canvas begging to be painted. This is probably the most exciting time for me, because as I decide the facts of my character’s lives, I also decide what new and exciting subjects I’m going to be researching for the next few months.
In the case of A Christmas Wedding, my current release, I got to combine two really fun topics—horseracing and weddings. And believe me, if you want to learn a bunch of absolutely fascinating trivia that will wow them at the upcoming holiday parties, these two subjects are loaded with it.
So, with no further ado, here are ten things I learned while writing A Christmas Wedding:
10. The skeleton of the oldest known horse is estimated to be 45 million years old.
9. The reason the engagement ring and wedding band is worn on the fourth finger ofthe left hand is because the ancient Egyptians thought that the “vein of love” ranfrom this finger directly to the heart.
8. Each of the three races in the Triple Crown (The Kentucky Derby, The Preaknessand the Belmont Stakes) has a signature drink that is served by the thousandswhile the race is going on (Mint Julep for the Derby, Black-eyed Susan for thePreakness and Belmont Breeze for the Belmont Stakes).
7. White became the wedding dress color of choice in 1840, when Queen Victoriawore it to marry Prince Albert.
6. The fastest Derby ever run was in 1973, by Secretariat, who broke the two-minute markand blazed the mile and a quarter in 1:59.4. Remarkably, each quarter mile split was fasterthan the one preceding it. No other horse has broken the two minute barrier in the Derby.
5. The tradition of a wedding cake comes from ancient Rome, where revelers brokea loaf of bread over a bride's head for fertility's sake.
4. In May 2006, Churchill Downs served custom-made mint juleps at a cost of$1000 each at the Kentucky Derby. The mint juleps were served in gold-platedcups with silver straws and were made from Woodford Reserve Bourbon, mintimported from Ireland, Ice from the Bavarian Alps and sugar from Australia.The proceeds were used to support charitable causes dedicated to retired racehorses.
3. For centuries the month of June was the most popular choice for weddings - but theoriginal reason dates back to the 1400s. At that time, June was the month for theannual bath, which is exactly what it sounds like—the one time a year peopleactually took a bath. Because the bride and groom were clean for the first time in ayear, it was deemed the perfect time for a wedding.
2. Since 1926, a silver bowl, made by Louis Comfort Tiffany (founder of Tiffany andCompany) and donated by the Belmont family, has been given to the winningowner. The bowl is supported by three horses—Herod, Eclipse, and Matchem,representing the three foundation sires of the thoroughbred world.
1. The kiss that is given by the bride to the groom at the end of the wedding ceremonyoriginates from the earliest times when the couple would actually make love for thefirst time under the eyes of their entire village!
