What fun did medieval villagers have?

Answer 1

Although the life of a medieval peasant was full of much hard work, there would have been some time for rest and recreation. Even in busy seasons peasants would take Sundays off, and there were many additional religious feast days. Also, while some times of the year, such as harvest, require maximum effort from all available workers in a village, there were parts of the agricultural cycle when less work was required.

Music, singing, and dancing would have been popular, and excavations of medieval villages have found the remains of musical instruments. Sports were also popular, including Wrestling, knife throwing games, and a rough and tumble ball game that may have been the ancestor of modern soccer. Dice game and even some Board Games were known. Socializing over ale was a common experience. Although the typical medieval village did not have a tavern, villagers would have brewed ale and had friends and neighbors over to their homes to drink, talk, and tell stories.

Villagers also had access to a spiritual life in addition to "fun" time. All but the smallest villages would have had a church and a priest, and regular services, religious instruction, and religious holiday observance were all available to the medieval peasant.