would a medieval serf ever get time off of work???

Answer 1

Medieval serfs in Europe were practically all Christians. They did not work on Sunday. They also took days off to celebrate many Christian holidays, such as Christmas, Good Friday, the Feast of the Ascension, the Assumption, All Saint's day, and many other Feast Days associated with Saints and the Holy Family.

Answer 2

Yes - - - and define work - - - some of their chores were mind numbing chores replaced in modern times by machinery. Ask an old farmer, one can grab a nap on a plow provided the horse is smart and many a farm horse was/is smarter than a novice farmer. Serfs were mostly an agricultural bunch. Serfs rarely worked after dark, sundown to sunset was time off. In Northern England the Winter was a time of huddling around the fire in a foul dank stone or peat-block cottage trying not to go mad from the stench & nagging of the spouse, the squealing of the children.

(Gadds the answers you are getting)
And as much as I fight with The Church, the Western Christians and the Eartern Orthodox ordained time off. The seventh day was/is the Sabbath. And various Saint's Days were a time for prayer & pageantry, and even days leading up to 'Feast Days' were set aside for fairs.
In England and Russia Serfs were NOT slaves, they were literally wedded to to Land - - - their efforts at producing grain and animal-husbandry and dairy was recognized and considered valuable.
(another egads moment)
And yes they could take time off for illness. What value is an dead worker especially one who might be renown for a partular skill. Broken limbs, the plague, think it out, if people fear the plague is contagious would you nake a serf work when they showed symptoms of the plague. And women give birth - - - that is 'time off' of a sort, a woman was expected to nurture her infant for an least a year and two weeks - - - and some Pregnant Serf women were given a comfy bed in the Lord of the Manors House because his Wife was Pregnant, and you never know when you might need a 'wet' nurse, a supply of mother's milk, so for nearly a year after giving birth a Serf woman might stay in the Lord of The Manor's house, in the servants wing, but spending time suckling an infant, a practice was revived for Plantation-American Negresses


Peace...

Answer 3

The serf's duties
The usual serf (not including slaves or cottars) "paid" his fees and taxes in the form of seasonally appropriate labor. Usually a portion of the week was devoted to plowing his lord's fields (demesne), harvesting crops, digging ditches, repairing fences, and often working in the manor house. The lord’s demesne included more than just fields: it included all grazing rights, forest produce (nuts, fruits, timber, and forest animals), and fish from the stream. The lord had exclusive rights to these things. The rest of the serf’s time was devoted to tending his own fields, crops and animals in order to provide for his family. Most manorial work was segregated by gender during the regular times of the year; however, during the harvest, the whole family was expected to work the fields. The tension of a serf's life derived from the fact that his work for his lord coincided and took precedence over the work he had to perform on his own lands. When the lord's crops were ready to be harvested, so were his own. On the other hand, the serf could look forward to being well fed during his service, and it was a poor lord who did not provide a substantial meal for his serfs during the harvest and planting times. In exchange for this work on the landlord's property, the serf had certain privileges and rights. They were allowed to gather deadwood from their lord’s forests. For a fee, the serfs were allowed to use the manor’s mills and ovens. These paid services were called banalities in France during this time.

In addition to service, a serf was required to pay certain taxes and fees. Taxes were based on the assessed value of his lands and holdings. Fees were usually paid in the form of foodstuffs rather than cash. The best ration of wheat from the serf’s harvest always went to the landlord. For the most part, hunting on the lord’s property was prohibited for the serfs. On Easter Sunday the peasant family owed an extra dozen eggs, and on Christmas a goose was expected as well. When a family member passed away, extra taxes were paid to the manor for the cost of that individual's labor. Any young woman who wished to marry a serf outside of her manor was forced either to pay a fee for the lost labor or to give her wedding night to her lord.[citation needed]

Often there were rather humorous tests - humorous at least in retrospect - to judge the worthiness of their tax payments. A chicken, for example, was required to be able to jump over a fence of a given height to be considered old enough or well enough to be valued for tax purposes. The restraints of serfdom on personal and economic choice were enforced through various forms of manorial common law and the manorial administration and court.

Answer 4

not often. even being sick wouldn't stop the owned serf. the only real days off would be spent in worship, but back to work the next day.

Answer 5

Yes, during Christian Holidays, except during harvest time. And there were a LOT of church holidays, much more then now!

"Medieval Holidays" : http://www.medieval.net/medievalholidays.htm

"Medieval Holidays : Other Days/Holidays" : http://www.medieval.net/otherdays.htm

"Holidays and Celebrations" : http://www.medieval-life.net/festivals.htm

Answer 6

Only Sundays and some saints feast days.

Answer 7

They worked to survive, not for spending money.

If they wanted to eat that day, they worked. Only illness would prevent them from working.

Answer 8

%%% only if he's dead %%%