Festivals

A festival is a public celebration or observance, typically held at a set time and place, that brings people together for entertainment, ceremony, and communal activities. Festivals can be religious or secular, seasonal or cultural, and may be annual or irregular. They commonly feature performances, parades, rituals, markets, food, and crafts, and may mark a historical event, a harvest, or a religious calendar.

Festivals serve social and cultural functions, reinforcing group identity, transmitting traditions, and fostering social cohesion. They provide ritual structure for rites of passage, opportunities for artistic expression, and a platform for tourism and local economies. They can also raise questions of inclusion, representation, and appropriation, and may involve planning and resources from community organizations or governments.

Organization and elements: Festivals are usually planned by religious groups, community associations, municipalities, or cultural institutions. Common components include parades or processions, musical or theatrical performances, dances, ceremonial rites, market stalls or food courts, and illuminated or decorative displays. Dates are often tied to lunar or solar calendars, agrarian cycles, or historical anniversaries.

Examples of festival types include religious festivals, secular cultural celebrations, harvest or seasonal festivals, and national or regional festivities. Across the world, festivals such as Lunar New Year, Diwali, Christmas markets, Carnival, Holi, Día de los Muertos, or harvest festivals illustrate the diversity of approaches to communal celebration.