I read that the winter holidays have been extended by another week, as usual. Good news for teachers and students, but not so good news for working parents who will have to invent activities to prevent their children from getting bored or addicted to video games.
In my childhood, summer holidays were lived as a barter: one month I lived with my uncles at the sea and another month my cousins came to visit us in the mountains. July was the month of the beach, sunbathing and sea bathing; August was the one of walks in the woods, the coolness of the night and healthy food. However, not all children were so lucky. Others were sent to spend the summer with their grandparents, even if they did not like cemeteries.
Vacation comes from the Latin “vacatio”, the same root as vacuum and refers to a break in routine activity (work or study); Free time to do other activities or simply devote yourself to “dolce far niente”.
It is curious that for the rich ancient Romans (who lived thanks to slave labor) the routine activity was leisure, to the point of defining the opposite of idleness as “nec otium”, negotium (business).
All Jews, including foreigners residing in Israel, were required to have a day off each week; the rest of the Sabbath, in memory of Creation and for the worship of the God of History, who freed them from slavery in Egypt.
The industrial revolution has also “revolutionized” the concept and practice of holidays, as the right of the worker to get out of the production routine. At the same time, the railways offered all workers, not just the privileged families of the nobility, the opportunity to take advantage of the holidays to travel beyond the surroundings of the cities of residence. Thus, was born tourism, one of the most flourishing economic activities in the modern world. Then, air travel further broadened the tourist horizon and the collective holidays of large factories and companies gave rise to mass tourism, with all its advantages and defects.
Nowadays holidays are paid. Some may be surprised to learn that paid holidays are a recent achievement, from a century ago, as well as the duration of holidays that in some countries exceeds 30 days for all workers, not just teachers.
In many countries, holidays are still a privilege of the few. This is the case in Bolivia where informal work, with daily income, makes the possibility of a vacation remote. In addition, those who can travel outside of Bolivia have to deal with the dollar crisis today and rely on the good fortune that their credit or debit cards are not randomly declined. One more reason to privilege underestimated national tourism.
It is curious that, since holidays are a socialist achievement, they are not even compulsory in China. In Japan, the death rate skyrocketed decades ago, due to overwork that causes strokes and heart attacks. It is the ‘karoshi’ (literally, death from overwork). That’s why the Japanese obligatorily enjoy five weeks of vacation (camera included).
Early retirement and longer life expectancy have changed the age distribution of tourists. Videoconferencing has reduced business trips to such an extent that today the profession of retiree has become synonymous with that of tourist.
And, finally, how can we fail to mention the very original form of vacancy typical of Bolivian justice: six-month preventive detention?