Last Name:_______________________ First Name:_______________________ Date:_____________ Per.:____
Unit 1, Chapter 3, Part 3 of 3
Medieval Christmas
The Role of the Church in Medieval Europe: Part 3 of 3 (Pages 39-41)
saint Christmas feasting Resurrection play monk convent nun mendicants
3.7
Holidays
People in medieval Europe looked forward to the many festivals and fairs that
marked important days of the year. Most of these celebrations were connected in
some way to the church. Almost every day of the year was dedicated to a Christian
saint, an event in the life of Jesus, or an important religious concept. In fact, our
word holiday comes from “holy day”.
Changes Over Time: Are all holidays still “connected” to the church and Christianity today? Explain.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Two of the biggest medieval holidays were Christmas and Easter.
Christmas is the day when Christians celebrate
the birth of Christ: Christ-mas. During the
Middle ages people celebrated for 12 days by
decorating their homes with evergreens, holy
berries, and mistletoe1. On Christmas day
people celebrated by attending church and a having a great feast2.
Easter is a day when Christians celebrate the Resurrection. In Christian
belief, the Resurrection is Christ’s rising form the dead. Easter was a day
for going to church, feasting and games. One game involved eggs, which
represented new life.
Holiday entertainment involved music, dancing, bonfires, acrobats and
Medieval Christmas Feast
jugglers, and dancing bears. Plays, dramatic performances, or acting, in
real life, were also popular. Priests sometimes acted out Bible stories about Jesus. By the 13 th century,
plays were often held outside so more people could watch.
Rules: What are some of the differences on how people celebrate Christmas today? _______________
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3.8 Monks, Nuns, and Mendicants
Religion was important to all Christians in the Middle Ages. Some men and women, however, solemnly3
promised to devote their lives to God and the Church.
The Monastic Way of Life
Monks were men who joined monasteries, communities devoted to prayer and service to fellow Christians. This
way of life is called monasticism. Men became monks for many reasons. Some seeking to get away from war,
sickness, or sinfulness. Some came to study. Some just wanted a quiet life of prayer and service. The monk who
developed the monastic way of life in western Europe was Saint Benedict. His followers became known as
Benedictines. They followed his three rules by 1) promising never to owe property, 2) never to marry, and 3)
always obey your leaders. Monks spent their lives in prayer, study, and work. They attended church every day
and helped the poor and sick. One of their most important jobs was to copy religious texts in a special room. By
copying rare document they helped keep the knowledge of the past alive. Much of what we know today from the
Middle Ages come from their work.
1
Evergreens, holy berries, and mistletoe are plants
Feasting is a large meal in celebration of a special event or occasion
3 Solemnly: to show great and sincere devotion
2
Based on the text on the other side, would you like to become a monk? Why or why not? I (would/ would not)
like to become a monk because _____________________________________________________________
Women
Monastic life was also open to women who did not wish to marry.
Women who became nuns lived in convents (also called nunneries).
These communities were also run in the same way as monasteries.
Nuns did the same types of work that monks did.
Many nuns became important reformers and thinkers. Some women
wrote many letters to popes and other church officials explaining to
them how things can be better and criticized some of the actions of the
church. Both monks and nuns joined religious groups that had their
own distinctive rules and forms of service. The
Benedictines were one such group.
Mendicants
Some people wanted to live a religious life without
the seclusion of the monastic orders. A famous
example is Francis of Assisi. Francis was born to
Medieval Nuns
wealthy Italian family, but he gave up his money to
serve the poor. He founded the Franciscans. Instead of living in monasteries,
Franciscan friars traveled among ordinary people to preach and care for the poor and
sick. They lived in complete poverty, or being extremely poor, and had to work and beg for food
themselves and the poor. For this reason, they were also called mendicants, a word that means “beggar.”
Francis loved nature, believed that all living things should be treated with respect. To many people, his
example of faith, charity, and love of God represents an ideal form of Christian living.
Details: Make a list of as many details from the paragraph above; “mendicants”. ___________________
In your own words, write the definitions of the words below:
saint:__________________________________________________________________________________
Christmas:______________________________________________________________________________
feasting:_______________________________________________________________________________
Resurrection:___________________________________________________________________________
play:__________________________________________________________________________________
monk:_________________________________________________________________________________
convent:_______________________________________________________________________________
nun:___________________________________________________________________________________
mendicants:____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Draw 1 Words Alive below from today’s vocabulary words