Festival

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For other uses, see Festival (disambiguation)
Feast redirects here, for other uses see Feast
The 2006 Sinulog festival in the Philippines
The 2006 Sinulog festival in the Philippines
Renaissance festival
Renaissance festival
Village Feast.--Fac-simile of a Woodcut of the "Sandrin ou Verd Galant," facetious Work of the End of the Sixteenth Century (edition of 1609).
Village Feast.--Fac-simile of a Woodcut of the "Sandrin ou Verd Galant," facetious Work of the End of the Sixteenth Century (edition of 1609).

A festival is an event, usually staged by a local community, which centers on some unique aspect of that community.

Among many religions, a feast or festival is a set of celebrations in honour of God or gods. A feast and a festival are historically interchangeable. However, the term "feast" has also entered common secular parlance as a synonym for any large or elaborate meal. When used as in the meaning of a festival, most often refers to a religious festival rather than a film or art festival.

In the Christian liturgical calendar there are two principal feasts, properly known as the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord (Christmas) and the Feast of the Resurrection, (Easter). In the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican liturgical calendars there are a great number of lesser feasts throughout the year commemorating saints, sacred events, doctrines, etc.

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[edit] Etymology

The word fest derives from the Middle English, from Middle French word festivus, from the Latin word festivus. Festival was first recorded as a noun in 1589. Before it had been used as an adjective from the fourteenth century, meaning to celebrate a church holiday. The etymology of feast is very similar to that of festival. The word "feste" (one letter different from "fest") comes from Middle English, from Middle French, from the Latin word festa. Feast first came into usage as a noun circa 1200, and feast was used as a verb circa 1300.[1]

[edit] Function

Festivals, of many types, serve to meet specific social needs and duties, as well as to provide entertainment. These times of celebration offer a sense of belonging for religious, social, or geographical groups. Modern festivals that focus on cultural or ethnic topics seek to inform members of their traditions. In past times, festivals were times when the elderly shared stories and transferred certain knowledge to the next generation. Historic feasts often provided a means for unity among families and for people to find mates. Select anniversaries have annual festivals to commemorate previous significant occurrences.

[edit] Types

There are numerous types of festivals in the world. Though many have religious origins, others involve seasonal change or have some cultural significance. Also certain institutions celebrate their own festival (often called "fests") to mark some significant occasions in their history. These occasions could be the day these institutions were founded or any other event which they decide to comemorate periodically, usually annually.

[edit] Seasonal festivals

Almabtrieb in Kufstein, Austria
Almabtrieb in Kufstein, Austria
Festival in Nyon, Switzerland
Festival in Nyon, Switzerland

Seasonal festivals are determined by the solar and the lunar calendars and by the cycle of the seasons. The changing of the season was celebrated because of its effect on food supply. Ancient Egyptians would celebrate the seasonal inundation caused by the Nile River, a form of irrigation, which provided fertile land for crops. In the Alps, in autumn the return of the cattle from the mountain pastures to the stables in the valley is celebrated as Almabtrieb. A recognized winter festival, the Chinese New Year, is set by the lunar calendar, and celebrated from the day of the second new moon after the winter solstice.

[edit] "Fests"

Certain institutions decide to annually commemorate certain special events significant to their history. These institutions are usually educational institutes such as colleges and senior secondary, secondary, or high schools. Such festivals are usually called "fests". Examples of such fests are:

[edit] Ancient Egyptian Festivals

Most Ancient Egyptian festivals were religious, but others were not such as one festival established by Ramesses III to celebrate his victory over the Libyans. When feasts occurred was either determinded by lunar cycles or the Egyptian calendar. Festivals were large celebrations with plenty of food available. In one festival in the 12th century BC, 11,341 loaves of bread and 385 jars of beer were given to the public. The Sed festival celebrated the thirtieth year of a pharaohs rule and then every three (or four in one case) years after that.

[edit] Chinese Traditional Festivals

Spring Festival 春节(Chinese New Year, Agriculture Calendar January 1st)

Lantern Festival 元宵节(Community Day, Agriculture Calendar January 15th)

Wild Festival 上巳节(Agriculture Calendar March 3rd)

Cold Food Festival寒食节 (Agriculture Calendar one day before Solar term Qingming)

Mourning Festival 清明(Ancestor Worship, Agriculture Calendar Solar term Qingming around Apr.5)

Dragon-boat Festival端午节(Rice-Wrap Day,Agriculture Calendar May 5th)

Magpie Festival七夕 (Chinese Valentine, Agriculture Calendar July 7th)

Mid-Year Festival 中元节(Chinese Halloween, Agriculture Calendar July 15th)

Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节 (Moon-Cake Day, Agriculture Calendar August 15th)

Dual-Yang Festival重阳节(Healthy long life Day and Hill-Climbing Day, Agriculture Calendar September 9th)

Mid-Winter Festival冬至(Solar term Mid-Winter, around Dec.23rd)

Soup Festival 腊八节(Buddist Festival, Agriculture Calendar December 8th)

Kitchen Festival祭灶节(Chinese Thanksgiving, Agriculture Calendar December 23rd)

New Year's Eve除夕(the last day of the Agriculture Calendar)

[edit] Types of festivals

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Etymology of "feast", etymonline.com. Retrieved on March 9, 2006.

[edit] External links

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