[Jean Henri Chandler]

Others have mentioned some of the key things already-

The big caveat I would mention is that you can't really generalize about the medieval period, or you have to be very careful doing so. Each region is really different in terms of weather, climate, economy, warfare, and social organization.

For example, somebody mentioned the 100 Years War, that was not even remotely an issue in Italy, Poland or Sweden, except to the extent that they might be selling arms and iron respectively to the warring parties. We almost always in the Anglophone world (and even to some extent in 'Western' Europe) conflate England and France with all of Europe in this period. The 100 Years War wasn't even that big of a deal in England since it was fought almost entirely in France and Flanders.


Another example, up in the Baltic zone (including much of Scandinavia and what is now Northern Poland and Germany) winter was an active time because (among other reasons) it's when muddy swamps and bogs froze over so that they could be easily crossed, and you could travel by skis and horsedrawn sleds (troika if you had some money and wanted to go fast!)

There was a lot of time off - I agree with Dan except that I think the is conflating the time a serf is obligated to work for a landlord with the time the serf would work for himself, to grow his own crops and livestock. But Dan is right they had Holy Days as many as 150-200 days a year. They also typically had either Saturdays or Monday off, or a half day, for taking baths. Bathing was typically done once a week for poorer people, either in public baths or private saunas (banya etc.).




There was what is called the 'putting out system' - villagers were connected to the guild systems in towns and would make or assemble parts of a very wide variety of products as part of guild networks or working directly for Abbeys or Princes. Most farmers also made their own things like honey or cheese or certain specialty livestock (hunting dogs for example) for extra money. One estimate I read said that a typical Polish peasant of the 'yokel' rank could make as much as 30 florins a year from this alone.


As for time off, iIn addition to the numerous Holy Days (even to this day, in the region of Southern Germany where I was stationed in the Army, they have festivals 20 or 30 times a year)

Carnival is just one of many often quite wild celebrations which weren't even remotely Holy. Some places had Carnival right in the middle of winter near the Solstace, often these are a bit wilder, and then others do it 40 days before Easter (which changes every years) this painting of the Nuremberg Carnival gives you an idea what a medieval urban carnival was like

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schembart_Carniv...rtlauf.jpg

The 'wilder' ones are the ones where they have things like Krampus and so on should be pretty well known.

You also had things like weddings, keeping in the tradition of Breughel here is his painting of a peasant wedding

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JeINJMYvGrw/VTXtIsB...A36A4D.jpg

I agree 100% on The Last Valley. Michael Caine's accent may seem a little odd for Austrian (maybe the casting director mistook that for Australian?) but the film is based on a really well researched book and it works both on the level of pure entertainment and as a kind of window into that awful time.

I'd love to post more on this because I think it's a great topic but wife calls with dinner!

J

[Jean Henri Chandler]

Another Bruegel, "children's games"... relevant to the OP I think

http://uploads7.wikiart.org/images/pieter-bru...s-1560.jpg


Also contests of all kinds.





J