Peacekeepers of the galaxy later turned generals of war.
The Jedi Order was one of the most widely known yet secretive organizations within the
galaxy.
So when they weren’t on a mission or honing their lightsaber and force abilities, what
did the Jedi do in their free time?
Well the life of a Jedi was probably one of the strictest things in existence, especially
during the time nearing the start of the clone wars.
There were a ton of restrictions on what Jedi could do, and the few things that were allowed
were even looked down upon, either viewed as a waste of time or a warning sign of a
Jedi’s path to separating themselves from the Order’s ways.
Meditation was one of the few things that was encouraged within the Temple as the thing
everyone should do.
So much so, that Jedi younglings were forced to meditate at least 5 times a day.
As a way to have them get used to only doing that in their spare time as well as to teach
them that meditation can solve all of their inner problems.
If you were angry, depressed, or had desires that went beyond the teachings of the Order,
then most mentors would tell you to just meditate on it and that it was the only way you’ll
find peace with your issues.
Essentially the Jedi slogan was to meditate your problems away.
So meditation was the thing most Jedi did.
They meditated everywhere from their private living quarters to a top of vast landscapes
on planets they were stationed on for missions.
Jedi who had more technical minds spent their time privately repairing and building machines.
Anakin Skywalker spent much of his time in his room messing with battle droid parts and
playing with models of ships like he did when he was younger.
Repairing and modifying his starfighter was also another hobby he enjoyed doing.
A different Jedi by the name of Kazden Paratus also spent his spare time working on machines,
creating droids to help the Jedi in battle as well as inventing an attachment for himself
that helped compensate his small stature.
And although working on machines were allowed by the Jedi, it was looked down upon and caused
anxiety among some masters, who viewed those who closed themselves off away from their
peers had a greater chance of deviating from the Order’s teachings and falling to the
dark side.
More ambitious Jedi who wished to gain more knowledge and power found themselves within
the Jedi archives, reading and learning of the centuries old secrets that were kept there.
Others spent their time training for hours on end, seeking to perfect a certain lightsaber
form or to fully master a force ability.
A few Jedi actually went against the rules when it came to forming romantic relationships
and went on to secretly get married.
One we all know is Anakin, who occasionally snuck out of the Temple and spent time with
his wife Padme.
Another Jedi by the name of Nejaa Halcyon also had a secret marriage as well as a secret
son by the name of Hal Horn.
He and Anakin actually revealed their marriages to each other, convincing one another that
what they were doing wasn’t wrong and that there were probably other Jedi who broke the
rules in order to pursue happiness.
Although forming families was forbidden by the Jedi, they did make rare special exceptions
to some members whose species required it.
For example Ki-Adi-Mundi’s species had a very low birth rate and required the rapidly
aging males to mate with multiple woman as a means to keep them from going extinct.
So Mundi was allowed to have multiple wives and children, and he went back home to do
just that when he had the spare time.
With that being said, he still was forbidden from having any personal attachments to any
of his family members, even his children.
So Mundi was allowed to have a family, but he wasn’t allowed to love them.
Even the younglings couldn’t escape this strict lifestyle.
As we mentioned earlier, throughout their training and study filled days, they were
forced to undergo 5 mandatory meditation sessions.
This was done as a way to get them into a habit of meditating and having them find the
importance of doing it.
Younglings were placed into clans of 10 and they stayed in these clans until they were
old enough to become padawans.
When not at their studies, the younglings spent their free time learning the entire
layout of the Jedi temple as well as the histories and significance behind all the statues and
artwork displayed throughout the halls.
Surprisingly enough, despite all these strict rules drinking alcohol was technically allowed.
It was of course looked down upon heavily, especially when done by padawans.
However drinking alcohol was encouraged when necessary during missions, whether it be as
a way to show respect for a culture or as a means of trying to blend in.