Medieval peasants probably enjoyed their holiday festivities more than you do
Winter in a peasant village, painted by the Limbourg brothers and published in the medieval illuminated manuscript "Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry."
Pierce Archive LLC/Buyenlarge via Getty Images
A 14th-century thatched cottage in what is now West Sussex, England.
DAVID C. TOMLINSON/The Image Bank via Getty Images
Peasants in 15th-century France celebrate May Day.
Hulton Archives via Getty Images
When people think of the European Middle Ages, it often brings to mind grinding poverty, superstition and darkness.
But the reality of the 1,000-year period from 500 to 1500 was much more complex. This is especially true when considering the peasants, who made up about 90% of the population.
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