Jul 04 2008
What forms of leisure/ relaxation were used in the Victorian Age?
misstwennyfaahve asked:
We have tons of forms of relaxation enjoyment today– massages, spa treatments, and all other sorts of pampering things available to us. But what did they do in the 1800’s for the same sort of enjoyment/ relaxation?
We have tons of forms of relaxation enjoyment today– massages, spa treatments, and all other sorts of pampering things available to us. But what did they do in the 1800’s for the same sort of enjoyment/ relaxation?
One Response to “What forms of leisure/ relaxation were used in the Victorian Age?”
Well, without all the technological advances that we enjoy today, they had to make their own entertainment - and it sounds a lot more fun than we have today! Massages and spa treatments would normally be used for health reasons, not just for pampering. New thoughts came in that it would be healthy and restful to stay beside the sea; and people would often travel to the continental spas if they could afford it.
Here are some good sites with a lot of information:
Mediums and spiritualism enjoyed an upsurge of interest in Victorian times, with people being suitably amazed at table-tapping and ectoplasm. Many a winter’s night might be spent at the fireside telling ghost stories.
I imagine the nearest thing to a spa would be to take the waters at Bath or Harrogate, or some other suitable place; and people did go swimming, though in respectable costumes which covered most of the body.