'Pairs' of blankets?! (Completed -- thank you!)

[Bearnan]

I still have a pair of pink blankets I bought for my daughter's first single bed. She's in her 40's now and the bed has long gone, but the blankets aren't going anywhere 

[Rena]

Rena was poor!   

 How come a single item like drawers come in pairs?

Skoosh.

lol - It was war time and rationing didn't end for several years afterwards. Our mam and dad had a rather thin wedding present eiderdown over their blankets.

Do you mean drawers as in knickers, bloomers; pantaloons; trews; trousers?

Historically, each leg was a separate and roughly "tubular" item with a ribbon/string at the top to tie  around the waist.

[GR2]

Drawers and trousers are a pair because they are made up of two legs taken together. It is the same usage as a pair of scissors or a pair of tongs.

[Maiden Stone]

My mum got pairs of blankets as wedding presents in 1955.  I have to say she kept everything for 'best' and we used army surplus grey scratchy ones through the winter.   The best ones were gradually brought into service as the scratchy grey ones wore out but now, as we clear out her home to move her into a residential home, we have come across blankets still unused.

Same here. Actually the blankets had been used every winter and washed every summer. They were so big and heavy I think they were washed 1 at a time and took all day to dry in the sun. That may have been another reason why each bed needed a pair of blankets, in case one had to be washed when the weather didn't stay dry long enough.  Our army surplus grey/ brown scratchy ones were used on top of the good ones. Woollen millhands received a pair of blankets from work when they married, at least at our local, friendly mills.

[Maiden Stone]

I was brought up in the north. We always had a pair of blankets on our bed - plus an old army coat on top of them in winter.

Ditto. One's day clothes were kept between the blankets and quilt so that they were warm for putting on in the morning. 

[CelticAnnie]

Interesting stuff, y'all; thank you.  This Southern softie doesn't recall much at all about blankets -- changed up to duvets at quite a young age.  Led quite a sheltered life, I guess!

CELTICANNIE

[Rosinish]

I can remember having a blanket underneath the bottom sheet in winter which was as effective as an electric blanket which wasn't affordable 

Annie

[Maiden Stone]

I can remember having a blanket underneath the bottom sheet in winter which was as effective as an electric blanket which wasn't affordable 

Annie

Ditto, again. A blanket below is worth 2 on top. Now marketed as mattress covers in a range of thickness & materials. We used old blankets. After electricity was installed the family could afford only 1 electric blanket since it was a luxury item. That lasted about 20 years. I use thick mattress covers in winter and don't need electric blanket unless weather is very cold.

[eadaoin]

I can remember having a blanket underneath the bottom sheet in winter

I have blankets underneath the bottom sheet on all the beds, all the year round . .