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Ceremonial Festivals and Processions |
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written
by liu9700 / 10.03.2005 |
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Introduction |
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The significance of Festivals and Processions |
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Festivals and ceremonial processions are as much a part of the Roman identity today as they have been for thousands of years. In this city little excuse is needed to take to the streets in celebration. If you happen to be in the right place at the right time you may witness any of a wide spectrum of festivities ranging from folk tradition to relic adoration, victory marches to miracle commemoration, joyful celebrations to solemn processions.
The phrase “ceremonial processions and festivals” is vague and warrants a more exact definition. Consider for a moment some festivals or processions that you might observe in modern American culture. Some events suggested during the presentation include the Macy’s Day Parade, Sea-Fair and the Super Bowl. All these events share a few common elements that motivate their yearly renewal. First we note a definition of time and space. Festivals almost always occur at regular intervals, often annually, and during the same time of the year. This practice defines time in two ways. First, it keeps track of the amount of time that has passed since the initial celebration. For example, this year sports fans will watch Super Bowl XL. The “XL” signifies this is the fortieth Bowl since the event’s first installment. Secondly, this practice can alert the community to a near-future occurrence. The Macy’s Day Parade marks Thanksgiving Day, but it’s also a signal that the Christmas shopping season will soon begin.
Space, like time, is also defined in two different ways. Festivals are held at the same location or in similar venues each year. Ceremonial processions physically take the participants through a set route which changes little over time. This leads us to another common element of festivals and processions: the building and perpetuation of a community identity. The ritualistic movement of a ceremonial procession defines the space of the community while at the same time it unites the past to the present as people follow in their predecessors’ footsteps. Also, festivals are a time set aside for renewing tradition and reminding a people of their collective past.
In considering festivals and processions particular to Rome I noticed a few addition elements which work well into themes we have seen in this course. We have discussed attempts by the church to erase a pagan past by adapting a Christian face to a pre-Christian establishment. Many of the temples we have left today survive because they were at one time converted into churches. The Temple of Portanus is one example of this process. In the same way the early Christian church often adopted holidays from the pagan calendar in an effort to stamp out the tradition. The appearance of the festivals may have changed, but other elements such as the intent, location and time of the year often did not. Festivals and processions are also often employed as a means of social control. For the content of this report the entity of control is most often the Catholic Church.
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A short history of Christian Processions in Rome |
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In examining the current festivals and ceremonial processions of Rome it is important to understand a bit of their history. The first recorded Christian procession in Rome was in the 4th century C.E. By this time members were able to associate themselves with the religion publicly without fear of persecution. Later, in the 12th century C.E. the church suppressed all forms of public theater. Private theaters did exist, but were reserved for the wealthy and the nobility. The Church preferred to control such public events for the masses and therefore was the only source of what festivities the people had available to them.
Many early Christian festivals centered on the celebration of miracles. Tales and evidence of these miracles were often manufactured by the church. Miracles provided spectacle, a confirmation of faith and renewal of public interest. Relics associated with a miracle drew in audiences and, more importantly, the audience’s money. Donations came from both the individuals and by churches hoping to draw a larger crowd to their congregation. Such festivities also sought to educate the masses. Processional floats often bore depictions of religious doctrine.
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