Why are the school summer holidays 6 weeks long?
The thought is that school children have a long summer holiday (six weeks for most pupils in the UK) so that they could help work in the fields over the summer back through the ages.
Having children helping with the harvest would only have been necessary for a small percentage of the population. So, whatever the origin of six weeks off at the height of summer is, it’s not for the sake of farmers.
Perhaps it was just to be nice to school students by giving them time off at the sunniest part of the year. There appears to be no definite reason but avoiding learning in the heat of the summer seems logical.
Why holiday?
The word ‘holiday’ is derived from ‘holy day’, or a saint’s day in the Christian calendar, and holy days were an important part of medieval life. Holy days were very frequent, but you wouldn't always get time off for all of them. Sunday was the day that was reserved as a day of rest.
The Grand Tour
In the 1700s upper class families sent their sons off on ‘The Grand Tour’ - usually a tour of Europe. Maybe from France, to Italy, to Germany and then back home or further afield to Greece and Turkey. It usually lasted a few months; the belief was that it was to enlighten in the wider world and add knowledge.
In reality, before trains and planes it must have all been quite a trek!
The Great British Seaside Holiday
In the 1800s the great British seaside holiday took off. Steam trains and steamships opened up Europe as a possible destination. However, with the industrial revolution, people moved to the cities to work in factories. Holidays were imposed as the 'Summer Shutdown' where the whole factory closed, giving workers time off to have an annual summer seaside holiday. The ‘charabang’ holiday took off – another uncomfortable journey we’d imagine – we don’t know how lucky we are nowadays!
Paid Bank Holidays
The Bank Holidays Act of 1871 was the first law to give nationwide statutory days off – introduced by a Maidstone MP!
Air travel in the 1960s was more expensive but prices reduced over the following years as the air industry took off and the budget package holidays opened up the world for foreign travel. Being tanned also became fashionable in the 1900s, when in previous centuries being pale had been seen as more attractive. Being pale had meant you were wealthy and didn't need to work outdoors - a tan was the sign of being a ruddy-faced field worker!
We travel the world and act as tourists and yet often haven't visited places on our own doorsteps. Here's an idea - enjoy a staycation doing Quiz Trails! Write your wish-list of places you'd like to visit this summer and grab a Quiz Trail to explore more!
So why do we give children six weeks off in the summer holidays?
It's possibly to give our nation of teachers a well-deserved break from teaching children and to give our children time to spend time with loved ones and to have a good break from the routine of school.
