Happy days

The Victorian era is indelibly linked to great British prosperity but also the images of overcrowded slums and the grim spectre of the workhouse. Whether we celebrate our ancestors' achievements or condemn their wrongdoings, we are very much beholden to the Victorians for affording us more leisure time and fashioning the way we enjoy the festive season.

In 1841, a Baptist missionary named Thomas Cook observed the growth of the railway system and hit upon the idea of cheap day excursions resulting in a deal with the Midland Railway Company to put on special trains for trips to the seaside. But, in those days, leisure time was minimal, there were 54 days in the year '“ Sundays, Christmas Day and Good Friday '“ on which ordinary legal obligations with regard to business were suspended.

The industrious Victorians simply wanted more time off to enjoy their reward for labour. The movement for a change in working practice proved to be fruitful, not destructive; Saturday half-holidays were unofficially prevalent by 1861, but not until 1871 did parliament react to the social tendencies of the time by passing an Act to supplement annual leave by four additional days: 26 December, in case Christmas Day fell on a Sunday, Easter Monday, Whit Monday and the first Monday in August.

The birth of bank holidays

In committee (House of Lords), Lord Overstone cordially approved the object and principle of the Bank Holiday Bill on 16 May 1871, but expressed some concern about the name 'bank holiday'. He said 'the word 'bank', as one that has no legally defined meaning, was very ambiguous, and was likely to lead to confusion'.

Moreover, he saw no reason why the 'relaxation' should be confined to persons employed in banks: 'What was to be desired was that all persons in this hard-working country should have such opportunities. The word 'general' might be substituted for 'bank''.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer did not want to universally apply the Act. He claimed it did not extend to persons in the service of the government, but to bankers' clerks and other persons in private employment. He thought that public servants had more than enough time off!

Christmas makeover

1841 is not just celebrated for Thomas Cook's trips to the seaside; it was a landmark year for another reason. This was the start of the modern-day Christmas. The Christmas tree emerged in 1841 and two years later the inventor of the postage stamp, Sir Henry Cole, produced the first commercial Christmas card. He commissioned John Calcott Horsley to design the impressive card. The remaining aspects of Christmas that we take for granted today, such as family gatherings, abundance of food and drink, party games and the convivial greeting 'Merry Christmas' were influenced by one of the most famous writers of the Victorian era, Charles Dickens, in his book, A Christmas Carol. So, modern-day yuletide celebrations can be attributed to the Victorians.

Ten years later, the creative energy of Cole and Cook manifested itself again. Cole arranged for the Great Exhibition, which was attended by thousands of visitors in their leisure time, and Cook laid on day trips to Crystal Palace via the railways. Sir Henry, who sought to beautify life, later managed the construction of the Albert Hall and oversaw the inauguration of the Victoria and Albert Museum '“ both of which are visited by many of the millions of visitors to the capital each year.

The Victorian era seems more distant from us than it really is. Better terms and conditions of employment nowadays mean more holidays for all workers, but, in addition, we all look forward to a bank holiday for which we owe the Victorians an enormous debt of gratitude.