Catholic Piety and Leisure and Recreation

1. Catholic Piety and Leisure and Recreation Stephanie Sjoblom

2. Catholic Piety • Religion played a large role in community life and popular culture. • People joined in religious festivals • Some priests wanted to fix some popular religious practices that they saw as more superstitious than religious. • Attempted changes on this varied widely because pious peasants saw this as an attack on their true faith.

3. Carnival • Preceded Lent • It was a time for people to release frustration • Dancing, drinking, plays, and processions

4. Home Leisure • Culture was still very vocal • In colder months families would gather around fireplaces. -sing, tell stories, do crafts

5. Women would often gather at each other’s houses to chat and sew. • Men would often go out to bars and talk with their friends.

6. Entertainments • Entertainments became very popular with all social classes. • Urban fairs brought about new foods, acrobats, freak shows, open-air performances and the like. • Matadors and heavyweight champions began making an appearance.

7. Blood Sports • Bull baiting -staked on a chain and attacked by dogs -the bull was then sold for meat • Cockfighting -carefully trained -armed with steel spurs -popular because of gambling