Tag Archives: festival

Norwegian Viking Festival at Avaldsnes

Context: My informant remembers a viking festival that is celebrated in his hometown of Tonsberg in Norway. The name of the Festival is where it takes place in the viking village known as Avaldsnes, yearly. They would all gather around the town square as a viking holiday sometimes putting on viking costumes and eat really good food with all his friends and family around.

Context: Tonsberg was a viking trade center and had one of the biggest fortresses in Norway. Tongsbergw as established as a center of power. The place continues for hundreds of years to be rules by kings and cheftains and things like that.

Analysis: The Norwegian Viking holidays, of which there are plenty, usually consist of celebrating a battle or conquest and having a day to remember the triumphant vikings. InAvaldsnes it is more about the history of the city and how it has stood for so long that the people celebrate.

Norwegian Independence Day

Informant: Every single 17th of May, which is Norway’s independence day, Everyone dresses up in traditional outfits from way back in the day and walk in a mass downtown. Usually the large group consists of mostly kids walking down the big street dressed in tradition old Norwegian style of clothing. My informant remembers walking down the street with the people waving and cheering for them including his family on the side of the road.

Context: Similar to The many different independence days celebrated around the world, Norway doesn’t differ much. It is a day to remember their independence where everyone celebrates, and is usual, the kids get celebrated the most.

Analysis: This Norwegian Festival is similar to something like the Fourth of July here in America. We celebrate us becoming our own country and have always celebrated since. Norway celebrates every single may 17th the day they got their independence day.

Olsok Day

Informant: July 29th when Olaf the holy (olav den hellige) died in a grand battle in 1030. After he died, that is commonly referred to at least in Norway as the end of the Viking age. He had red cheeks while he was buried, this is a symbol that he was still alive as he was being buried. This is where Christianity took over.

Context: My informant learned of this information from his Parents when he was younger. When he used to live in Norway he would “celebrate” this day on July 29th. His parents instilled values and taught him using old stories of the viking age, personally to my informant he liked to celebrate this Holiday because it reminds him of his parents and their teachings, as well as his own history in Norway.

Analysis: This holiday in Norway is certainly an interesting on with some serious dichotomy. On one hand the people love their viking roots and celebrating a holiday where the viking age ended and Norway was “colonized” into Christianity might be a slippery slope. On the second hand there are certainly more religious people who treat it as a proper holiday. For some it is a day of remembrance and hold more weight than for others.

Lunar New Year

Nationality: Vietnamese
Primary Language: English
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 04/26/2024

Text:

“Every year my family’s church throws a Lunar New Year festival to celebrate the New year. There is always plenty of food, live music, people, and activities for kids. I used to dread going, but it’s really fun to see people I haven’t seen in a while and to get dressed up in cultural clothes.”

Context:

The informant, who grew up in the California Bay Area, is talking about Lunar New Year, as it was celebrated by his Vietnamese church. While the date changes every year, he recalls the festival and celebration as being a constant for as many years as he can remember. He used to get annoyed with the amount of people he was forced to interact with, and the uncomfortable clothes he had to wear, but now sees the festival as a fun and welcoming event to ring in the New Year.

Analysis:

Lunar New Year is a popular and important holiday across many East-Asian cultures. Lunar New Year festivals are a common celebratory event that I have encountered numerous times. They are not unique to America, and are extremely prevalent in Asia, as well as other countries. The festival, while often celebrated differently, contains numerous common threads, including heavy utilization of red decorations, common foods, etc. This festival is cultural, and holds wide cultural significance as a way to celebrate a new year, and to bring in good omens of health and wealth. I think that the Lunar New Year is specifically interesting because it spans numerous East Asian cultures, and is distinct from religious celebrations, but still holds great prominence and importance in Asian households. I have met numerous people who look forward to the festivals and the food, and see it as a fond memory and event that has been consistent throughout their lives. I think it also speaks to the permeance of culture, as it travels with people as they move and settle in new areas, serving as a way to bond with other people of a similar background.

Flower Moon Music and Arts Festival (Chapman University)

Text

Collector: “Do you participate in any specific rituals or festivals?”

Informant: “We have Flower Moon. It’s a Music and Arts Festival that’s been happening every year for the last three years on the last week of April. It’s usually at the same venue the Garden Amphitheater in Garden Grove, California. It has three stages. And we have 15 different artists, five artists per stage. And it’s not just the music it’s also the arts because we get six different vendors who are all champions to us in the arts. Artists, by the way, are all Chapman students and alumni. And we also get vendors to come sell clothes, jewelry, and food. And it’s like basically like our version of Coachella because it’s the weekend after both the Coachella weekends happen so we call it Coachella weekend three.”

Collector: “How much does it cost for a ticket?”

Informant: “$20 for Chapman students and $30 for general admission. And it’s sponsored by our school, we get sponsors from SGA. So Student Government.”

Context

The informant is a female undergraduate student at Chapman University in Orange, California. She is co-president of The Collective, a music club on campus that’s responsible for organizing the Flower Moon Festival each year.

Analysis

The Festival showcases Chapman Student’s artistic and musical abilities. The financial sponsorship from Chapman University shows that the school enables artistic expression. They provide a space where student’s talents can be appreciated and commodified. The showcase restricts artists to a very niche group: Chapman students and alumni. In my opinion, this makes the event more attractive to people in that university folk group. Ticket price differences urge students to attend, as they get in at a discount.