Lift up Your Hearts

It is well known that the derivation of 'Holiday' is Holy Day, for it was the Kalendar of celebrations of the Saints which determined the rest days of the labourers of Medieval England. August has now its Bank Holiday at the end of the month, but in former years the celebration of 'Our Lady of the Harvest,' the Assumption, on the 15th of the month was the day off from the back breaking labour of bringing in the grain.

The Country Round Haileybury - Walking Map

Bank holidays never seem to mean much to me since at school we just worked on through them. Twas not ever thus. FW Headley (Staff 1880 - 1919) and W Kennedy (1883 - 1919) published The Country Round Haileybury in 1920 to provide botanical, geological and historical information for excursions on Half and Quarter Holidays. Maps of the area in about a fifteen mile radius were provided for cyclists and walkers. Ascension Day was the main annual holiday within the school term.

Measuring time, and time off in our busy world has moved away from the rhythm of the church's year, though not as much as maybe we think, for of course, the school year still revolves around Christmas and Easter. The quarter days are still marked by the feasts of Christmas, Lady Day, S John he Baptist and Michaelmas. I am not sure I would ride a bicycle from Haileybury to Luton (one of the routes Headly and Kennedy suggest) to mark a holiday. But happy Holy Day, however you keep it.