We're All Going On A Summer Holiday

By Hayley McDonnell

Well, actually we are not. The best we might get is a break from routine. For some of us the routine has not altered and the only things that remind us of the summer holidays are people asking us questions like, ‘Were you going away this year?’ Or, ‘Are you still planning on going away this year?’ Irrespective of the answer, the weather is something we all have in common.

I remember one year from January to April it rained every single day. I kept a mental note. No one wants the prospect of climate change but a clearer distinction between the seasons would be nice. You get what you are given, however, and that is the power of nature. I have always enjoyed six weeks off work as an ex-teacher, with commonly five of those spent with my children as they have different holidays to me, and personally it has been great. However, not everyone feels the same about this long expanse of time and there are, of course, considerations about childcare and finances to consider for many UK families. The holiday period overall has taken on a different meaning this year, one that we cannot escape from. So, I thought it timely to consider where the long school holidays originated from. I understand Christmas, Easter and Whit holidays because they are clearly marked by Christian festivals. But what about the six weeks in summer? 

FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS AND LONG HOLIDAY BREAKS

Although not the typical British summer we expected, apart from the weather; the prospect of the ‘long summer break’ seems to be ingrained in British culture for the foreseeable future. As female entrepreneurs this is fantastic as we can plan our working life around this expected interruption. This is something to consider if you are a female entrepreneur with children, ‘who is going to look after them while I work?’ As a female entrepreneur who employs women with children, will they want time off and what will their productivity be like before and after?  If you are a female entrepreneur who works alone there may be a reduction of services available during the long holiday, particularly if you rely on women who have children. The effects are far-reaching as referred to in this Blog post where we can find out about where the problem starts, the realities of the holiday psychology and suggestions about government interventions required.

In countries like India and Uruguay you still have holidays for the summer season, and in Great Britain (and many other European or Western countries) I may be the first to tell you that there is a reference to Christian worship at the origins of these lengthy holidays. Christianity is at the heart of the origins of the long break.

HISTORY AND ORIGINS

The word holiday is derived from the two words ‘holy’ and ‘day’. It is easy to discern where the holy day is reflected in the most common of festivals that are overtly acknowledged today and are referenced above. But it is not so obvious when considering the six weeks of summer. Most have at least heard of the antiquated necessity for children to help farmers work in the fields over the summer, and believe this to be the reason why children have six weeks holiday. The problem with this is that the current British school system we know of was developed over the course of the 19th century. At this point, English farms were increasingly mechanised and having children helping with the harvest would only have been necessary for a small percentage of the population. Also, if the six weeks holiday ends at the start of September, there will be no children around to bring in the harvest in the early autumn, a particularly busy time for the farming calendar. So, whatever the origin of the six weeks off at the height of summer is, it is not for the sake of farmers.

While living in the Middle Ages didn’t have a lot to recommend it, what with a short life expectancy, war, plagues and a lot of praying to relieve the drudgery, there were more holidays or holy days than you might expect. The older you were, the more holidays you could enjoy. They were definitely for the adults and not the children. This ‘holiday’ (or ‘holy day’) often remembered a saints day in the Christian calendar, and holy days were an important part of medieval life. They could mean time off work, and this certainly meant an excuse for a party. Adults only you see!

These types of holy days were frequent. Any excuse to worship God, of course. To get an idea of just how frequent, the Church of England currently celebrates nine Principal Feasts, three Principal Holy Days, and 26 Festivals – it doesn’t count Festivals or Lesser Festivals. You would not necessarily get time off on all these days (and there was no concept of a weekend, only of Sunday as a day of rest), but it certainly was not a time of uninterrupted hard labour. Holy days were compulsory.

There was even the concept of going away for a holiday – not that people would have viewed it in those terms. This is where the long break tradition starts. No buckets and spades were required just yet. Just as holy days were religious festivals, so the option of leaving your home to have fun whilst seeing more of the world, was often based on a pilgrimage; showing devotion to God in an overt way that is different from your normal day-to-day activities. This pilgrimage might be within England (like a staycation - a popular choice this year). Pilgrims could travel to Walsingham (which women visited to pray for fertility) or Canterbury. For those who could afford to travel further or felt the need to visit places associated with the origins of the faith or early church, they could go overseas to places such as Rome or Jerusalem.  

A RELATIVELY MODERN VIEW

So, what has happened to the holy day in Great Britain? And Sunday, the day reserved for Christian worship and family time? 

Before 1994 In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, only small shops could open on a Sunday, with larger stores forced to remain shut. However, strict observance of the Sabbath was declining, and other religions either had different days of rest, or none. The religious make-up of Great Britain was changing to become pluralistic, multi-faith and even atheistic. Trade unions and employers gave assurances that no worker would be forced to work on Sundays and surveys showed that even among Christians many shopped on a Sunday, so it was passed into law for a limited time. The argument about these new attitudes to consumerism including that such moves would have a damaging effect on families, communities and local economies, were not loud enough to ‘Keep Sunday Special’.

Today, from my personal experience, the day of Sunday still has its own identity but the lines between Saturday and Sunday are certainly blurred. In contrast to my childhood days in the 1970s when no shops were open on a Sunday or when we all became excited as the local Roller Disco opened on a Sunday evening for 2 hours for the local children. On our 2019 family trip to Mallorca, whilst staying in a picturesque village with reduced public transport during the week, on a Sunday there was no bus service at all, with local cafés and restaurants closed too. From my experience, the pluralistic nature of this part of Spain hasn’t taken hold. Britain still has its identity within Europe, at least in this respect.

Incidentally in some parts of India they have 10 day summer holidays and in Uruguay it is 3 months. I’m not sure which one I prefer!

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Social – Who would you like to spend a lengthy summer break with? What would you do?

Moral – In your view or experience how far is the balance of responsibility towards childcare during holidays shared between parents? Does this reflect the reality the rest of the year? Does this responsibility contribute to the progress female entrepreneurs can make either positively or negatively?

Spiritual – Time away from work gives us the time to focus on our own perspective on life, what we value, our ambitions and how we are going to achieve them. What else can you do outside of holiday time to give yourself the freedom to think?

Cultural – Take some time to explore when why and what happens in long summer breaks in a different culture. Ask someone in your workplace or in an online community what happens.

Hayley McDonnell is a Personal Development/SMSC consultant and author intent on bridging the gap between countries, cultures, customs and ultimately people with “Global Collaboration” Her aim is to make our world feel smaller by connecting with our similarities and embracing our differences. She loves to travel and meet new people from different backgrounds, countries and cultures. You can find out more about Hayley here.