* Social activities in Elizabethan times incorporated any number of activities from dancing to games. Dancing was considered a healthy pursuit for both mind and body. Queen Elizabeth viewed dancing as a form of exercise and not only encouraged dancing among members of her court, but also expected them to be skillful dancers.

* Much of the social activities in Elizabethan times occurred around traditional feasts, fairs, festivals and religious holidays. The Elizabethans celebrated around the calendar starting in January, when they celebrated the visit of the Magi as the Twelfth Night festival. Even in the Sixteenth century, they celebrated St. Valentine's Day in February and Easter in March. April's All Fool's Day was a day of mayhem and jokes led by jesters. June brought Midsummer's Eve. And so around the calendar with September bringing the celebration of Michaela’s and, of course, Christmas in December. Other celebrations and festivals provided all classes’ social activities of food, music, dancing, acting troupes and jugglers.

* The Elizabethans played games, including a form of craps called "Hazard" and a form of backgammon. Landsknecht was an easy-to-play card game. Elizabethans played tennis and a badminton-like game called "shuttlecock." Elizabethans liked gambling and sports, including jousting tournaments that still found expression during this era.