Functions of festivals in Early Modern Europe 'What were the functions of popular festivals, etc. in Early Modern Europe? And whydid the authorities, civil and ecclesiastical seek to control or suppress them?'In Early Modern Europe festivals were the setting for heroes and their stories, to becelebrated by the populace. They posed a change from their everyday life. In those dayspeople lived in remembrance of one festival and in expectance of the next. Differentkinds of festivals were celebrated in different ways. There were festivals that marked anindividual occasion and weren't part of the festival calendar, like family festivals such asweddings and christenings. Some took place at the same time every year and were foreveryone, like community festivals like the different saints' days. Pilgrimages took placeall year round. Annuals festivals like Christmas and Midsummer always took place onthe same day every year.In those days the average village in Western Europe celebrated at least 17 festivalsannually, not counting family occasions and saints' days. Some festivals, such asCarnival, lasted several days or sometimes even several weeks. In the NetherlandsCarnival started every year at the 11th of November (St. Martin) and culminated in a bigfestival of 'Dranck, pleijsier ende vrouwen' (Drink, fun and women) at the end of theCarnival period, preceding the period of Lent. Festivals were meant to take the minds of the people off their everyday life , off the hardtimes and their work. Everyday life in Early Modern Europe was filled with rituals, bothreligious and secular. Songs and stories played an important role in their lives, althoughthey sometimes adjusted the details of the legends and stories to fit the way they thoughta certain festival should take place. Popular culture was mixed with ecclesiastical culture in many ways. The story of St. Johnthe Baptist is a good example of this. The ancient ritual of bathing and lighting firesdu...
