Time and time again, everyone looks for some refreshment and fun in their lives. The reasons behind this craving could be anything from boredom to wanting to enjoy with loved ones. It is natural to wish for a break, especially in today’s hectic and competitive environment. Luckily, something always comes to our rescue in these kinds of situations.
And that something is CELEBRATION.
A celebration generally happens when many people come together to celebrate any joyous occasion in their lives. For example, do you remember the time when you went to your colleague’s birthday party? Or maybe you remember how your whole family came together last Christmas? Or you might have made plans to hang out with your friends on the upcoming weekend? Well, that is what we call a Celebration.
Be it a weekend party filled with drinks and dancing; or a religious festival filled with rituals and traditional food- celebrations have always been there to break the monotony of our daily lives. Each celebration gives you a chance to let loose and enjoy yourself. Moreover, it brings you together with your loved ones and so you can catch up with them!
However, have you ever wondered how this whole idea of organizing celebrations came into being and spread over different communities? Or how much celebrating little things about life has affected our society? Maybe you are curious to know the changes that the whole concept of celebrating has gone through over time? Well, this blog is here to answer all your questions!
How Did It All Start?
Honestly, nobody has an accurate idea of how and when the first celebration happened. These things are difficult to document, especially because different communities have their own stories about them. Christians have Christmas, Hindus have Diwali, Muslims have Eid, Sikhs have Guru Purnima- and each of these festivals have their history behind them. The idea of gathering people and having fun together started from these religious festivals only.
Celebration as a concept has been researched upon by everyone- archaeologists, ethnologists, anthropologists, and historians. Still, no one can perfectly pinpoint the first-ever celebration of humankind.
What do Sociologists Say About Celebration?
Sociologists believe that there are various constituents of celebration which are recognized and shared by all communities. These include a link to some form of God or religion, symbolic behavior and rituals, dance and music performances, jokes, and play. Considering all these points, most sociologists think that irrespective of the differences in social structure, political organization, and system of economic production- all societies are still cultures of celebration. The Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations Section of the World Dictionary has documented this theory of cultural universality of celebration. It mentions more than 3,000 holidays, festivals, commemorations, holy days, feasts, fasts, and other observances from all parts of the world.
Celebrations and Society
Irrespective of their specific nature (family anniversary, religious holiday, political commemoration, or any other festive occasion), celebrations are the true essence of social life. Celebrations are responsible for bringing a burst of flavor to your everyday dull and dry routine. They break the dominion of neutrality which governs community relations and light the match of human emotions. Celebrations create a specific ‘celebrative sociality’ within the social frame of the world. It means that celebrations break the social barriers for the time being and dissolve the anonymity of modern times as they involve everyone’s participation in joint activities.
Interestingly, there are also some downsides to “Celebrative togetherness.”
Firstly, a celebration can also lead to conflicts and tear apart the social fabric. For example, in a nation with ethnically diverse communities, political celebrations like National Day exclude the members of national minorities and pit them against the celebrating majority.
Secondly, sometimes celebrations are only organized under societal pressure. Many people organize religious festivals and even birthday parties because society expects them to do so. It leads to a waste of finances and brings mental pressure on people.
Lastly, some celebrations, especially in the workplace, can exclude people belonging to the lower strata of society. Do you remember the last time the janitor got invited to any of your colleagues’ birthday parties? No, right? Thus, celebrations tend to expose the class divide present in the community.
But even after these few negativities surrounding celebrations, you can’t deny that they are essential for staying happy and connected with people.
How Have Celebrations Changed Overtime?
The study of celebrations had become an arising core of the emerging sociological discipline at the dawn of the 20th century. Émile Durkheim gave the highest place to rituals in integrating the social body of the society and declared that studying holidays is a crucial part of the sociological focus. But even after this flaming start, postwar sociology regrouped across the Atlantic and lost its interest in celebrations. Although, there were still a few studies concerning celebrations, festivities, and holidays. Though, after this long and undeserving hiatus, the concept is coming back into the focus of sociological theory.
However, the sociology of celebration has still not become a well-developed field of study possessing several classic thinkers and arrays of research methods till now. But sociologists are developing considerable interest in national and countercultural celebrations. There have been several research studies on different celebrations like family ceremonies to changing national feasts, from students partying to innovative festivals, and the role of celebration in nation-building. Conclusively, the sociology of celebrations remains an open field of inquiry and keeps on adding conceptual, theoretical, and methodological inputs from scholars interested in studying the festive dimensions of social reality.
Why Should We Keep Celebrating?
Thus, it is clear that being a part of celebrations is crucial to enjoy your life and connect with others. Since time immemorial, humans have used celebrations to escape their busy lives. While celebrating, people experience a sense of community. Sociologists believe that people are kept together by the integrating forces of the rituals involved. Even though the concept has changed in our century, the basic idea remains the same. Nowadays, celebrations enable shared experiences- which are revealed either in drinking and partying within festivals, carnivals, singing, or in celebrating family holidays and partaking in sober political ceremonies. Getting together with the ones you love and living every moment of your life is the whole idea behind celebrations. So, don’t wait and plan your next celebration soon!
