I don't remember exactly how or when I developed a fascination with World War Two Rationing or life on the Homefront but rather, I think it has been a slow journey that has taken hold and captivated me. I believe it stems from my interest in the lives of my grandparents and how they grew up through the Depression of the late 1920's and World War Two. Both of my grandmothers had very different experiences and this shaped how they lived and their approach to food and food storage.
The closest many of us, in the western world these days, have come to any kind of experience with food shortages was during the Covid lockdowns. With more people at home full time, flour and other essentials were in short supply for awhile as many people were taking up the challenge of baking sourdough bread and other baked goods as they had more time and I imagine, needed something new and different to do to occupy themselves and to keep away boredom and frustrations from the lockdowns. Since then we have continued to have limits placed on certain items and shelves, where I live, have not gone back to pre-covid days of being fully stocked all of the time.
As I have taken up the challenge this year of doing a World War Two Rations Diet challenge a couple of times, I have developed more insight and understanding of how people survived during this time of rationing. Each time I completed a challenge it was only for a week or two and it was hard enough but can you imagine rationing lasting for 15 years?
In the UK, the process of registration for rationing began in September of 1939 and officially started January 1940 and didn't officially stop until 1954, nearly 10 years after the war ended.
Here in New Zealand rationing began with petrol in September 1939 but food rationing didn't begin until April of 1942 with sugar being the first item to be rationed. I will go into more detail about New Zealand rationing in a future post. Rationing here finished in June 1950. From what I have researched so far, rationing restrictions here in New Zealand were not as severe as the UK which I believe suffered the most difficult rationing outside of Europe where there were constant food shortages that were quite severe.
I have often wondered to myself if this interest in a time of wartime austerity comes from living in a time where we have access to anything we want all of the time. With the click of a button groceries can now be delivered within half an hour of placing an order. Clothes, homewares and decor and all manner of things that we probably don't need can be ordered online and depending on where you live, can be delivered within a day or two or within a couple of weeks from the other side of the world.
I remember as a child having to wait for things I needed or wanted. Certain things such as toys and books were given as birthday or Christmas presents. Even certain food items or meals we left for special occasions so that we had something to look forward to and enjoy. Both my mum and dad talk about a time when even the humble chicken was only available at Christmas and not throughout the entire year.
So what is it about the World War Two rationing system that has so many of us fascinated with it?
For me I think there are a couple of main reasons.
1. The first and most important is that I have always been interested in domestic history and how people have lived in times past. Whenever I have visited historic homes it is the kitchen that draws me the most. I love learning about how other women around the world live and carry out housekeeping duties and what they cook. How they raised their families and made do with what was available to them.
2. Modern life is incredibly busy and technology is moving very quickly. The pressure to be busy and the world around you moving fast is reason enough to try and slow down the pace at which I live my life. Even as a young girl I dreamt of living in another time period. One that featured Anne of Green Gables was my preferred choice! When hardships come along we can look to how people survived in the past to give us ideas, inspiration and encouragement.
So by taking an interest in past eras and how people lived before the technology we now have and before modern food choices we have at the supermarket, even before there were supermarkets, it helps me to take a step back. Enjoying home life and doing things more slowly, not pressuring myself to do all the things and simplifying things down in which I have control over. I think that's why I love the ration challenges because I am cooking more simple meals with less fuss and ingredients and making do with what I have.
This is just a brief introduction today but I hope you have enjoyed reading this and that it gives you some insight into my interest in World War Two Homefront living.
Thank you for being here, have a blessed week.
Love, Fiona
" Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12
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