Vacationing is traveling away from one’s home for recreation, tourism, experience, reflection, or other reasons unrelated to work. Historians trace the vacation back to ancient Greece and ancient Rome, where citizens left the major cities to attend athletics competitions and lounge in coastal towns. The modern concept developed further with the “Grand Tour” of Europe, a rite of passage for young English aristocrats, and Thomas Cook’s international railroad tours.
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Although we now consider vacation to be an integral part of the summer season, the concept didn’t exist in the US until the middle of the 19th century. Even then, it was still a luxury and didn’t become a middle-class norm until the early 20th century.
The word—as the Middle English “vacacioun”—can be found in “The Wife of Bath’s Tale,” one section from Geoffrey Chaucer’s famous 14th-century text. Until the mid-1800s, the word mostly referred to a time when schools and public buildings were “vacated.”
Historians trace the vacation back to at least ancient Greece, where many people traveled to festivals and athletic events, including the Olympic Games.
When the weather grew too hot in Rome, the city’s elite traveled to coastal spots like the Gulf of Naples, where they’d eat oysters, drink wine, and bathe in thermal pools.
Thanks to a sophisticated system of roads, Romans could travel great distances for their Roman holidays. This interactive resource from Stanford allows you to create fictional journeys around the empire, seeing approximate routes, costs, and time.
Starting in the 16th century, young English aristocrats mounted “Grand Tours” of Europe. Accompanying tutors provided lessons in the continent’s architecture, art, history, and literature. A Grand Tour wasn’t just for classical education, though; it was also an opportunity for young men to indulge in vices away from their parents.
In the mid-1800s, Cook took wealthy Britons on tours of Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the US, often packaging together transportation, lodging, and food, effectively creating the modern travel agent. He also pioneered travel writing, with “Travellers Handbooks” offering tourists tips for visiting various countries.
Long before Rick Steves or Lonely Planet, Thomas Cook’s “Travellers Handbooks” offered maps, recommendations, and tips for 19th-century tourists in unfamiliar locations.
The American vacation developed as the country expanded its railroad infrastructure in the late 1800s, with businessmen positioning coastal enclaves like Coney Island and Atlantic City as affordable respites from the country’s urban centers.
The city’s boardwalk, filled with amusement parks and vendors, became a significant attraction for vacationing families. The town also became a hub for entertainment, with actors often starting there before heading to Broadway.
Art, music, sports, entertainment, movies, and many other subjects—these elements define who we are as a society and how we express ourselves as a culture. Take a deep dive into the topics shaping our shared norms, values, institutions, and more.