Festivals

Festivals have become a part of our life, and we celebrate them: Sometimes even without knowing the exact background of them. As an example let us take Christmas, but that will follow later.

Festivals in general are special occasions for the people, they celebrate something special. They can have various reasons why they exist, but they all need one, even if it was just an Emperor who made something up. As such they can be based off the movement of the sun or rather the calendar, like Samhain and Beltane, or the cultural heritage like the National Day or based on special occasions of a person's life, like the birthday.

The idea is to create some kind of outlet, which differs from the usual days: The excitement created is also used to influence the people in the way they behave, as can seen with a lot of charity going on especially during festivals and also a different atmosphere. However, festivals often are based upon religious traditions. Now let us take a look at Xmas. Christmas, at least according to the belief of Christians, is celebrating the day of birth of Jesus Christ. It shouldn't surprise us that it was decided on that day, because religion wanted to have it on this special day.

Now why do I say special day? As often, the festival was taken from other beliefs to ensure that people would not feel disturbed in their habits, only renaming it and giving it another cause why it should be celebrated.

Saturnalia, originally a public festival is supposed to have influenced Christmas, but I deem another theory correct. Sol Invictus is a festival held on the 25th of december, celebrating the birth of the Unconquered Sun. Sol Invictus was a sun-god created by a roman Emperor, Aurelian, and his cult state-supported.

Does that sound somehow similar? A birth? Indeed, often religions take symbols and fit them into their own, and they do the same with festivals. The Christians are no different in that point. The name Christmas was most likely taken to ensure people are reminded of their new God, Jesus Christ having been his son, but the festival was another one. People can have habits which are hard to get rid of, so religions found it easier to replace them with their own instead of having to brainwash their followers into totally new ones: Often they would still continue with the old festivals then. We have talked about festivals in general and went a little bit more specific on Christmas. Now, why would people want to make others have festivals?

You should read Muratus del Mur's Order and Chaos if you haven't done already, in this case I believe they are one of the particular controlling methods. A festival does not belong to the usual routine of every day, and depending on how you define Chaos I believe it belongs to that realm or at least is closer to it than the usual days. Chaos for me is the change which exists, but in the sense of changes, which are mainly uncontrollable.

The romans had the idea of using it as outlets: Their motto was panem et circenses or rather Bread and circuses. What is meant should be clear, the people chose food and fun over freedom, making it an effective way to control the masses. A festival as such is a mean to let your emotions out, but channeling it so it does not disturb the rulers: Only that is why they are willing to spend so much money on them.

Religion is no different. Unless you only have a cult consisting of only Fanatics, or at least a sort of people which obey you totally, or brainwash them properly it is needed to have such outlets. The other I mentioned somehow establish an order and give you means to control, but if you do not have such people you need to make sure they do not get their attention on you or for example your taxes, which could be really high.

So festivals were created, painted with the reason of special occasions, but generally making sure people are happy and don't look too closely at how the rules live and act.

As a conclusion I can only add: Even if they are means of control we ourselves need them, for we cannot only stay in Order, which is already given with any change that happens around us. But we should not forget that festivals are also there to distract us, sometimes from the most important problems. Have you felt good after giving some donations on Christmas? Then I ask you whether you would notice them if it wouldn't be Christmas. Sometimes they create changes with us, it is upon us to ensure it is to the better.