Reenactment

Reenactment is the act of recreating past events, activities, or daily life for education, commemoration, or entertainment. Participants, often in period-appropriate clothing, perform or demonstrate historical practices, battles, crafts, or routines. Reenactments are organized by hobby groups, museums, schools, or cultural institutions and can range from small demonstrations to large public events.

Historical reenactment covers eras from antiquity to the modern period and includes battlefield demonstrations, craft workshops, and immersive living history experiences. Living history museums use reenactment to interpret everyday life for visitors. Reenactment is also used in film, television, and stage productions to recreate authentic contexts.

Practice relies on historical research, accurate or plausible costumes and equipment, and safety planning, especially for simulated combat, weapons, or pyrotechnics. Ethical considerations include avoiding misrepresentation, respecting cultural sensitivities, and ensuring participant safety and informed consent of audiences when appropriate.

Notable forms include Civil War, Napoleonic, and medieval reenactments; common venues include living history sites and medieval fairs. Reenactment communities emphasize accuracy, education, or storytelling, and they continually adapt to scholarship and public dialogue about history.