“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
Mid-summer and the holidays are just around the corner. We take them so much for granted and feel rightly aggrieved if we have to work. But holidays, as we know them are a fairly modern invention. The word “holiday” comes from the Old English word meaning “holy day” and referred to special religious days and religious observance.
In medieval times, the Christian Church held holy days and feast days throughout the year. No one was allowed to work on holy days, instead they would gather together to pray and share a meal in honour of a saint or celebrate a special feast such as Easter. These few days provided a short break from the heavy ordinary work of every day and an opportunity to participate in community activities.
Anything resembling a holiday of the kind that we know and love was reserved for the very wealthy. Only they had the time and money to travel, visit friends, or take part in sporting activities such as hunting or jousting competitions, or parties. Then again, they might choose to go on a holy pilgrimage – a long journey made to holy shrines and other sacred places as an act of religious devotion.
In Tudor England, Christmas celebrations lasted 12 days from December 25 to January 6. This was the time when all work could be stopped except for looking after animals. There were community celebrations and feasting as people looked towards the lengthening of daylight and the onset of spring. Sadly, in Scotland it was very different: Christmas was banned for 400 years.
In 1871, the Bank Holiday Act gave workers are few days paid holidays a year, in addition to Sundays. This was later extended to include half-day breaks on Saturdays – the beginnings of a weekend. Day-trips out began to be a possibility for the ordinary people.
In 1939, a new law said that everyone must have a week’s paid annual holiday. For some this gave them an opportunity to earn a little more by taking a “working holiday”. Many families from London’s East End would journey to Kent for the hop-picking season, boosting their annual income a little. By the 1950’s, two weeks paid holiday was common and by the 1980’s, most people received four weeks paid leave each year.
Whether they are holidays or holy days, they give us an opportunity to pause, to recharge our batteries, and to reflect on what life has to offer.
May this time be blessed and fulfilling for you this summer.
Rev Ann Bol, Shingay Group of Churches