| | Medieval HolidaysInteresting history, facts and information about the life of the people
who lived in England during the Medieval times Medieval Holidays
The Life of people during the Middle ages was dictated by the changes in the season. The different seasons and months of the year were celebrated with Religious Feasts and Festivals - the Middle Ages holidays. The religion of Christianity had been established in England during the Dark Ages. in Medieval Times, following the Norman conquest, new stone churches and cathedrals were built. Medieval Holidays marked an event of religious importance for every month of the year. The rural population of the Middle Ages had their days of rest and amusement, Middle Ages holidays were then much more numerous than at present. At that period the festivals of the Church were frequent and rigidly kept, as each of them was the pretext for a forced holiday from manual labour. A calendar of Religious other festivals are detailed as follows:
January
Medieval Holidays in January: Twelfth Night Religious festival and feasts celebrating the visit of the Wise Men, or Magi, following the birth of Jesus
February
Medieval Holidays in February: St Valentine's Day. The Medieval festival celebrating love - singing, dancing and pairing games
March
Medieval Holidays in March: Easter celebrated by the Mystery plays depicting the crucifixion
( Good Friday) and the resurrection ( Easter Monday )
April
Medieval Holidays and Festivals in April: All Fool's Day. The Jesters, or Lords of Misrule, took charge for the day and caused mayhem with jokes and jests!
May
Medieval Holidays and Festivals in May: May Day was a spring festival celebrating May Day when a Queen of the May was chosen and villagers danced around the maypole - May Pole Dancing
June
Medieval Holidays and Festivals in June: Midsummer Eve, the Mummers entertained at the 'Festival of Fire' reliving legends such as St George and the Dragon. Bones were often burned leading to the term 'bonfire'. The summer Solstice was June 23rd
July
Medieval Holidays in July: St. Swithin's Day falls on 15th July. Legend says that during the bones of St Swithin were moved and after the ceremony it began to rain and continued to do so for forty days
August
Medieval Holidays in August: Lammas Day was celebrated on August 2nd. The ' loaf-mass ' day, the festival of the first wheat harvest of the year. Houses were sometimes decorated with garlands and there were candle lit processions
September
Medieval Holidays in September: 29th September was when Michaelmas celebrated the life of St Michael and the traditional food on Michaelmas was goose or chicken
October
Medieval Holidays in October: October 25th celebrating St Crispin's Day. Revels and bonfires and people acted as 'King Crispin'
November
Medieval Holidays in November: The Day of the Dead - All Souls Day or All Hallow's Day ( Halloween ) when revels were held and bonfires were lit
December
Medieval Holidays in December: Christmas celebrations. Medieval Holidays
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