A festival is an extraordinary event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela or eid. Festivals constitute typical cases of glocalization and high culture-low culture interrelationship. They are also usually a combination of the sacred and the secular, the holy and the mundane. In many festivals, food is a central element. This is most evident in events that celebrate harvest time, which are often combined with religious commemoration and thanksgiving for the bountiful harvest.
The term festival is also used to refer to an annual event that features various cultural programs like music, dancing, poetry and movies. These events are generally held in large cities or towns and attract a large crowd of people. Festivals may be either religious or national and are a great source of entertainment for people of all ages.
Religious festivals teach children the importance of family and tradition. They also help inculcate values like love, tolerance and peace. Moreover, they make kids understand the importance of avoiding evil deeds and their consequences. They also help kids to build self-confidence and respect for different cultures and traditions. The most important aspect of celebrating a religious festival is that it helps kids to develop a sense of gratitude towards God for his goodness.
National festivals increase the patriotic spirits of children, which enables them to grow into better citizens. They become aware of the country’s history and culture and start prioritizing their nation over others. They also learn to appreciate the freedom and the value of their country’s flag and symbols.
During a carnival, people indulge in foods and drinks that they may not consume during the rest of the year. This is particularly common in countries that have a Catholic-based religion, such as Christmas, Easter and Holi (the festival of colors). The celebrations are typically held during February or March, just before Lent begins, which is a period when followers fast and give up many luxuries. This makes the carnival a good opportunity to party and let off some steam before the 40 days of abstinence.