The Importance of Festivals for Society & Culture
The importance of festivals to culture and society cannot be underestimated. There are many types of festivals around the world, and we need them all to return – here’s why…
It’s easy to think festivals are just about a bunch of privileged people in a field drinking cider and dancing – and yes, those festivals are great – but the layers of significant cultural importance that make up even those festivals represent a long journey within a particular culture, society and history.
I’ve been to over 60 festivals in 22 different countries, and I still want to experience more. Festivals are a fascinating insight into a group of individuals, bound by a common understanding.
They’re tribal. They’re representative of what a certain way of life thinks, the way they express themselves, and offer a safe space for people to explore and welcome this part of their identity.
Religious gatherings and agricultural celebrations are the earliest recorded festivals. And now, 100s or 1000s of years later in 2021, still, spiritual / wellness festivals and food festivals are the current a la mode.
Our need to celebrate ourselves, our food and our social interactions remains unchanged.
Importance of festivals to cultural understanding
One of the main reasons I enjoy going to international festivals so much is the fact they are a microcosm of what they represent. Festivals are an opportunity to see as much as possible in a weekend into worlds so different, or even familiar, of my own.
I ticked off a huge bucket list festival in Lake of Stars Festival in Malawi a few years ago. I was unwell and not my usual party self, but, it gave me the opportunity instead to sit and listen to the local poets. Through their poetry they enlightened me to some of the issues of the day – calling out their ‘fat government’ and covering everything from housing, to relationships, to the nominal opportunities.
The importance of celebrating festivals abroad isn’t just to gather with your ‘tribe’. What I learnt in a few poems at Lake of Stars were fascinating insights into modern social issues and the Malawi of the present, that I would have had to dig deep to find out. And probably wouldn’t have bothered to, to be honest.
Even if only for a weekend, what I learnt there from the poets and artists gave me a better understanding of what life was like in Malawi. The cheers from the crowds at certain shared points showed me that this was the zeitgeist thought of the attendees, and the poets on stage had touched a nerve.
It was the same at the Knysna Oyster Festival in South Africa. A comedian was up on stage with his take on a huge news story of the time, about a pastor who claimed he could cure HIV and cancer with a fly repellant. It’s an awful tale, but his comedic take, and the laughing responses from the audience again, taught me a lot about a modern issue I wouldn’t have known about.
And, I never even knew speed eating oysters was a thing.
You never know what you’re going to learn when you visit a new festival. That’s all part of the fun and anticipation.
Comedy makes current social issues fun, music makes them melodic, while poetry makes them considered and heart felt. Festivals bring you them all.
Check out my video of the Knysna Oyster Festival, in South Africa
READ MORE: Cruel Festivals We Should Never to Go To