Festivals, Carnivals, and Special Events as Manifestation of the Identity of a Community - Case Study Example

Abstract Special events are meant for providing opportunities for social, leisure or cultural experiences that can be said to be beyond our day-to-day experiences. They may be seen as a way of celebrating people’s culture, awakening the creativity of people and as a way of inspiring our senses. They have progressed by not only promoting the culture and traditions but also as a way of the nations, towns and cities with an aim of gaining economically through tourism. These events can be broken down into three aspects of the existence of human. They commemorate what is seen as a sense of place by arranging activities that are inclusive in particular safe environments, they act as vehicles for the communities to share and host activities such as representing communally agreed interests, values and aspirations. Finally, they are outward demonstration of the community identity and give a unique identifier of the people and place. Special events as identifier of community Festivals, carnivals and other special events usually have some ways of enjoying ones soul in a manner that our day-to-day life will seem to ignore or neglect. These events make people free and break the monotony of daily work routine. Through this, one is able to secure some time to reflect on the importance of a historical event, a season or a holiday. Festivals may be seen as a way of celebrating people’s culture, awakening the creativity of people and as a way of inspiring our senses. These events can also be referred as a time of celebration that can be noticed by special observances and most likely celebrations that are periodic, programmed events or entertainments with a specified or defined focus (Freebourn 2009). The interests in festivals have been increasing worldwide where people wants to share and celebrate their culture, traditions, similarities and differences with others. They have progressed by not only promoting the culture and traditions but also as a way of the nations, towns and cities with an aim of gaining economically through tourism. The events in a way strengthen the bonds between communities and acts as an instrument of refreshing the communities and renewing their experience in a constant way. These events can be broken down into three aspects of the existence of human. They commemorate what is seen as a sense of place by arranging activities that are inclusive in particular safe environments. Secondly, they act as vehicles for the communities to share and host activities such as representing communally agreed interests, values and aspirations. Finally, they are outward demonstration of the community identity and give a unique identifier of the people and place (Martin, Seffrin & Wissler 2004). Considering the sociological and anthropological perspective, these events can be analysed as a symbols of fun. These special events have a lot of meaning in such a way that much can be learned regarding the host culture and the community. Celebrations are public and they have no exclusion, it can be said to be entertainment with an aim of feeling fun of it and involves participation by taking a good time out of the normal or ordinary time. In celebration, one does so in an open and conscious manner with a main aim of social, sensual and aesthetic gratification. Festival demands a participation that is fully engaged. The energy source provided by festivals can be said to be own and is in form of confrontations, role-playing, entertainment, games, noise, costumes, spectacle movements and contests. Festivals are also identified by calm or cool atmospheres. Carnivals are usually special celebrations and are associated with licence and partying (Ryan 2005). Festivals and celebrations that are related to cultural performances show common elements. They usually start with the valorisation of the setting, then a ritual that is responsible for modifying the usual and the place’s daily function. After valorisation, rites then follow and they may include dramas and competitions. After completing the event, there is a performance of a devalorisation issue. In addition to celebrations, most of the events are designed with an aim of attracting tourism to specific cities (Getz 2010). This essay examines different events in order to understand their relationship with the identification of the community. The events that would be analysed include Edinburgh festivals, rock fest, Cheltelam Festivals, Autumn Leaf Festival (ALF), Ise Ebi Matsuri Festival and jacaranda festival. Edinburgh festivals are hosted annually in a period of three weeks at Edinburgh, which is the capital city of Scotland. The activities involved in the festival include international opera, theatre, music, visual arts and dances. They involve the celebration of diverse and vibrant cultures of Asia with inclusion of other artistes throughout the world. This festival displays a symbol of fun as various activities such as games, music, theatre, dances and much more are advancing in a higher rate in the modern world. This calls for active participation as people disengage from their day to day activities to free up their minds through these festivals and tune to the culture of the hosting community. The setting of the place of the festival is enhanced by the season and the location of the city. The season involved during the festival is summer that makes it too attractive for the event goers who are willing to spend time out of the obvious in a very appealing climate. In addition, the location of the city provides a touristic view in terms of natural landscape, artificial structures, volcanic activities and other associated features. These factors tend to valorise the setting by giving the event goers a participatory perception and in a way give a direction on the community involved in the festival (Edinburgh International Festival Society 2011). The rock fest is rock music festival in Cadott Wisconsin, USA that is a four day outdoor festival. The venue of this festival is in relation to the massive support of the rock music in this area. The participation in rock music may be considered as totally engaged as the participants use a lot of energy in performances and lead to spectacle movements and noises in celebration. This active participation makes the event goers to be fully involved in the celebrations leading to diversion from their normal duties. Valorization of the event is enhanced through hosting the event in the town where rock music has great support. This makes it easier to identify the community in relation to the type of the festival (Festival Media Corporation 2011). Cheltelam Festivals is located in england and its a one organisation that holds four festivals which are termed as extraordinary. These festivals are held on annual basis. The organisation is responsible for the jazz, music, science and literature festivals. The community in this region will take the time out of their ordinary in order to participate in jazz, science, music and literature festivals. Participation in these events will be as a symbol of fun as most as all groups including the school are actively involved in thevents. The setting of the environment into fields of entertainments and identification of the best season is a way of valorization of the event and leads to feeling of content to the location selected. The presence of the prizes for victors also make these events more participatory (Cheltenham Festivals 2011). The Autumn Leaf Festival (ALF) is an annual event celebrated in Clarion town in America. It is a homecoming celebration that is hosted by the clarion university. The events involve in this celebrations include a homecoming game, parade, fireworks, sidewalk sales, junior Olympics, rides and festival booths. The festival is held at the beginning of the autumn; it takes a week and involves all the former residents and the existing community. In analysis of ALF, the participants are more engaged to this activity as their aim is to participate in the activities that they consider their favourite. In addition to the activities, the community is more interested to catch up with the family members and old fiends as a way of enjoying everything that the festival offers. These factors make the event a symbol of fun. The selection of the season and place also contribute a lot in the arrangement of this festival. The location of the place is on a plateau that lies at the foothills of the mountains known as the Appalachian and the area has a good combination of the people within the region. The weather at the begging of the autumn is at the process of cooling, the leafs that appeared green during the spring starts turning to shades of orange, yellow, gold and brown making the area so attractive. These factors make the place favourable to the event goers as they develop high expectations on due to the set up of the place. The event also involves selling of ceremonial dressing to commemorate the year’s experience. The entertainment is focused to all groups making the event appealing to old, young, poor and rich, both gender and also tourists and locals. The setting of the events and the activities involved free the people from the ordinary activities and engages them into an event that charms them to return during the next year event. The event boost the community both relationally as the former community is reunited by travelling and gathering together and there is a financial gain through increase in tourist revenue. The linguistic used in this celebration was English. Some of these factors show directly the identity and place of the community (Freebourn 2009). Ise Ebi Matsuri is a festival celebrated in Hamajima town in Japan. This festival celebrates the lifeblood of a spiny lobster known as Ise ebi that has been a common source of sustenance and income generating. The festival occurs annually and the celebration takes one day. The festival is celebrated at the begging of summer and marks the end of fishing of the lobster to allow for its repopulation. By analysis of this festival, the people who value the lobster as their food within the region are much into this celebration as they fully participate in this annual event. The event also involves a comeback of people from diverse area who once lived in the area. The activities involved in this event include a dance parade that is a spectacle that participants could not afford to miss, music, and competition that involved two lobsters and the event was finally closed by the fireworks. Participation in these activities is a relief from the daily work to an environment that free and interactive and makes people to have the fun of it. Summer season is evidenced by increasing temperatures, warm and muggy climate with an incoming cool breeze from the ocean making the conditions favourable for enjoyment at the coast and the venue selection is at the foot of the fishing grounds of the community. This condition makes it favourable for attraction of tourists into the festival as they take their time out to have fun and brings the entire community to the perception of having fun. The food that is purchased in this event is the fresh meals from the fish that is caught right from the coast. The entertainment in the event is all-inclusive making everyone to fully participate and enjoy the day out and show a unique aspect of the community hosting the event. This creates a touristic experience and communal celebrations and provides a one-day vacation that brings the community together. The existing and past members of the community got a chance to share experiences, a time to have fun and celebrate, spending of special moment with the ones they consider as close to them and also strengthening and maintaining the bonds of friendship. The linguistic employment in this festival was Japanese. Study f this festival gives a clear identification of the community (Freebourn 2009). The jacaranda festival is an event that is celebrated annually in the Grafton city of Australia. The event is aimed at celebrating the natural heritage in this city. The event involves dance, music and the celebrations on the natural flora in this city (Derrett 2008). In analysis of this event, the people of this people secure time in order to have fun as they organise parades allowing everyone to move through the built and natural environments. People engage in dances and songs as the old young, homefolk and visitors are given opportunity. Participating in this event makes people to feel free from the ordinary work as they see this as a symbol of fun. The timing of this event is accomplished by organising it when there is appearance of the blossoms on all the jacaranda trees. The setting is also enhanced by the selection of the city as it is located at the centre of hinterland axe of the coast, big rivers joining the city providing attractive areas for swimming, canoeing, speedboat and rowing activities. In additions, visitors are able to purchase the works from this city’s exhibition centres. This scene attracts visitors from everywhere and brings up the perception of celebration as people detach themselves from the normal activities. The settings and the activities involved in this event will provide the identification of the community (Derrett 2003). Benefits of participation The events will involve event goers into cultural and social processes that could be subtle and invisible such as reinforcement of values and community building and might be visualised as a belonging and sharing. Participation will promote a feeling of joy, engage people in times and settings that can be regarded as completely out ordinary. It also strengthens the bonds within the communities and maintains some values that are important in the society. Unruly behaviour These events most likely the carnival ones engage those participating to an experience that is emotional which in turn may lead to unruly behaviours. Events such as outdoor rock festivals may lead to such a situation as participants get more into the event to a point of getting out of control. Use of excessive alcohol in such events can also lead to unruly behaviours. Conclusion The article has demonstrated how a place and a sense of community contribute to various events. Studying of the events in the community validates the interests that are shared by the visitors and the community. . Festivals and other special events strengthen the bonds between communities and acts as an instrument of refreshing the communities and renewing their experience in a constant way. These events can be broken down into three aspects of the existence of human. They commemorate what is seen as a sense of place by arranging activities that are inclusive in particular safe environments, they act as vehicles for the communities to share and host activities such as representing communally agreed interests, values and aspirations. Finally, they are outward demonstration of the community identity and give a unique identifier of the people and place. References Cheltenham Festivals 2011, Jazz, science, music and literature, viewed 7 November 2011, http://www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/aboutus#annual-reviews Derrett, R 2003, ‘Making Sense of How Festivals Demonstrate a Community’s Sense of Place’, Event Management, Vol. 8, pp. 49–58 Derrett, R 2008, Regional festivals: nourishing community resilience: the nature and role of cultural festivals in Northern Rivers NSW communities, PhD thesis, Southern Cross University, pp 1-306 Freebourn, SE 2009, Two Cultures, One Heart: A Comparative Analysis between a Japanese Matsuri and an American Festival, Texas State University-San Marcos. Festival Media Corporation, 2011, Rock Fest, viewed 7 November 2011, http://www.festivals.com/viewevent.aspx?eventid=UxVk4hdewPk%3d Edinburgh International Festival Society, 2011, Edinburgh international festival. viewed 7 November 2011, http://www.eif.co.uk/visiting-edinburgh/about-edinburgh/about-edinburgh Getz, D 2010 ‘The Nature and Scope of Festival Studies’, International Journal of Event Management Research Volume 5, Number 1 Martin, J, Seffrin, G & Wissler, R 2004, The Festival is a Theatrical Event, QUT Digital Repository, pp. 1-34 Ryan, C 2005 ‘The tourist experience’, Thomson learning, London., 2nd edition. viewed 7 November 2011 http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=51qor2NELUkC&pg=PA138&lpg=PA138&dq=anthropological+and+sociological+perspectives+of+festivals+carnivals+and+special+events&source=bl&ots=JlCXGt8zF8&sig=CvGuumj6i0I6XdYAqbi1sKRbFy0&hl=en&ei=ZfWzTr2LN4u68gPv9PzpBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false Read More