portunity for people excludedfrom power to try and enforce certain changes.It is hardly surprising that members of the upper classes often suggested that particularfestivals ought to be abolished. They felt threatened by the populace who during festivalstried to revolt against the ruling classes and change the economical situation they werein.The reform of popular festivals was instigated by the will of some of the 'educated' tochange the attitudes and values of the rest of the population (" to improve them"). Thisreformation took on different forms in different regions and it took place at differentmoments in time. There were also differences in the practices that were being reformed.Catholics and Protestants opposed to different elements of popular festivals and they didso for different reasons. Even within the Protestant movement, the views towardsreformation of festivals and popular rituals varied.Missionaries on both sides worked in Europe to install their religious values in the localpeople. Reformers on both sides objected in particular to certain elements in popularreligion. Festivals were part of popular religion or were at least disguised as an elementof popular religion. The festival of Martinmas (11 November) was a good example ofthis.What were the objections of the authorities against these elements of popular culture ingeneral and popular religion in particular? There were two essential religious objections.Firstly, the majority of festivals were seen as remnants of ancient paganism. Secondly,the festivals offered the people an occasion to over-indulge in immoral or offensivebehaviour, at many occasions attacking the establishment (both ecclesiastical and civil).The first objection meant that reformers disliked many of the popular customs becausethey contained traces of ancient customs dating from pre-Christian times. Protestantreformers went very far in their objections, even denouncing a number of Catholic ritualsas bein...
