Time off from the family chores and tedium of the workplace left precious little time for relaxation. Saturday night and part of Sunday presented most villagers with one day, at most, to take their minds off their daily struggles. The need for diversion was so great that Sunday presented everyone with a variety of simple yet entertaining distractions. For those devoutly committed to the church, Sunday morning was dedicated to attending matins, or morning services.

Sunday Church Services

For those choosing to attend church—perhaps half of the population of a village—it was expected that they would bathe and dress in clean clothes long before the church bells rang. Sunday did not excuse anyone from the chores of milking cows, feeding chickens, and cleaning manure from the barn, but no one attended services smelling like the barn. Those attending arrived in...