April 7 is a chance to revel in National No Housework Day. Put down the laundry and toss out the to-do list. For this one day, we can give ourselves a break and do what we want around the house. Maintaining a clean and liveable home can sometimes feel like a never-ending chore. As soon as you have finished the washing and the cleaning, it all needs doing again, and again, and again. Well, that’s why National No Housework Day is here, to allow yourself a break, meaning that for one day at least, you don’t need to worry about the housework.
History of National No Housework Day
The history of housework and its perception as a largely female job dates back to the nineteenth century. As men began to specialize in paid work, housework became increasingly linked to women. The home was viewed as a pure, serene, and secure place, as opposed to the impure, unsympathetic, and uncertain world of work. Nowadays of course society tends to have a much more open mind to gender roles and the duty of upkeep in most households is seen as a shared responsibility.
Innovation in household appliance technology has increased the efficiency with which work is carried out but also prompted higher standards of cleanliness. The self-contained electric or gas-powered appliances are a uniquely American innovation that began emerging a hundred years ago. During this time the washing machine, the refrigerator, the kettle, the iron, and the sewing machine were all invented as families sought ways of creating more free time in their lives.
Housework has become so ingrained in our lives that Thomas and Ruth Roy felt it necessary to create a holiday where we don’t do any chores. They chose April 7 as National No Housework Day and encouraged people to “leave it all for tomorrow.”