Medieval peasants probably enjoyed their holiday festivities more than you do

By: Bobbi Sutherland, University of Dayton, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: December 19, 2025

Words: 1,242

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 1 day ago

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By Bobbi Sutherland, University of Dayton

When people think of the European Middle Ages, it often brings to mind grinding poverty, superstition and darkness. But the reality of the 1,000-year period from 500 to 1500 was much more complex. This is especially true when considering the peasants, who made up about 90% of the population.

For all their hard work, peasants had a fair amount of downtime. Add up Sundays and the many holidays, and …

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