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Seasons & Cycles
Tijden
en cycli • Zeiten und Zyklen
 raditional rural communities’ lives are not clearly divided into work and leisure parts. Chores need to be
done throughout the day and throughout the year. The little rest and
relaxation
farming, herding, hunting and fishing folk enjoyed in the olden days
had to be fitted in wherever possible. People’s days began at the crack of dawn (earlier during the dark season) and ended
late in the evening, and certain chores were scheduled at
certain
times in between.
And then
there
were seasonal
activities, such as tilling, sowing, calving and lambing, shearing, harvesting,
hay making and food preservation. Most woodwork, mending, spinning, weaving
and needlework was done
during the cold months. Festivities marked certain milestones of the
year, such as the end of winter, completion of harvest activities, and,
interwoven with Christian holidays during the darkest days of winter,
ancient festivals of light and demon expulsion to insure the sun’s return and a clean start to a new year. The rhythms of rural life are determined
by cycles.
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