Fairs and festivals are basically the special events usually arranged by local communities. These festivals carry cultural significance and are organized so to celebrate unique aspects of the communities or their culture.
The term ‘feast’ is another relevant term that is coined to represent set of celebrations honoring God in various religions. The word fest originates from Latin festivus and festival was first recognized as noun in 1589.
Although, there are numerous different types of fairs and festivals varying greatly across different cultures yet the term festival is widely used to mean religious festival than any other type.
The festivals not only depict the traditions and customs of a specific culture but also serve to fulfill specific needs of the culture. Side by side people get the opportunity for entertainment and these events provide them with a sense of belongingness for social, geographical or religious groups.
In ancient times, festivals were the occasions for elders to share certain stories so to transfer ample amount of knowledge to the next generation. Some festivals are espoused by lunar or solar calendar and also by season cycles. Such festivals are known as seasonal festivals.
The seasonal festivals are celebrated because of the pleasant influence rendered by the seasonal change. Take ancient Egyptians for instance; who used to commemorate seasonal inundation produced by River Nile rendering fertile land for the crops.
Generally, the festivals are classified in various distinctive types. The most common festivals held across cultures include; arts festival, folk festival, film festival and food festival etc. Arts festival refers to an event focusing visual arts covering all of its forms.
Arts festivals are in fact the exhibitions arranged by internationally known curators selected by peer communities and the artists participate in such art festivals by invitation. Arts festivals are different from art fairs.
Art fairs are the market-oriented get together of the art dealers & their merchandise in order to promote artists and sales. A folk festival is the event celebrating folk music or traditional folk craft. People tend to participate in folk festivals more often and show great concern for such festivals. They enjoy the unique expression of their cultural traditions and customs.
A Film festival is a systematic and extended presentation of movies in various screening venues /theaters. The films presented in these festivals may be recent releases or may depend upon the focus of the festival as well. One of the world’s best known film festival is ‘Cannes Film-Festival’.
Another most popular festival held annually is the food festival. This festival features food items as central theme. Some communities also arrange for historical festivals every year highlighting the major events occurred in their past. For instance, some institutions tend to celebrate the day when the foundations of those institutions were led down.
No matter what type of festival is, they are celebrated with enthusiasm and excitement. The festivals are a source of immense joy and a break from monotonous life routine. These awesome festivals serve to unite different communities besides providing entertainment.
