Travel & Culture
BY SABA SHAHID (ECON/IV)
Festivals of the World
For this week's column I decided to do something different; I won't be writing about any particular city. However, sticking to the theme of Travel & Culture, I will be describing different festivals from around the world, their history and what makes them so unique.
Carnevale di Venezia
My partiality toward Italy once again comes my way and begs me to begin with an Italian festival: The Carnival of Venice, perhaps the most astounding celebration I have ever come across. Here, creativity knows no bounds and comes alive to formulate a palette of colors, fabrics and jewels. Amidst the festival in the historic city center at St. Mark's Square, figuring out the difference between fantasy and reality, the factual and the fictional, becomes a difficult task. Many different characters in elaborate costumes and masks parade around the city celebrating an almost 900-year-long tradition. During the 17th century, when the Grand Tours of Europe were in full swing, Venice became an essential destination for travelers. For them, the Venetian carnival provided a perfect opportunity to indulge in music and food. The festivities also reflected the change Europe was experiencing in its political outlook, as the masks allowed no discrimination to be made on the basis of class or social status. The carnival today occurs annually before the commencement of Lent and is a popular event that many tourists travel to Venice for. If you do decide to make it to the Venetian Carnival, look out for the old legendary masks that depict various characters, such as the square-shaped Bauta mask and that of the Medico della Peste -- the Doctor of the Plague. Each mask has a particular significance, both in terms of Venice's history and of the role its character played in society.
Holi
Holi is an Indian festival that traditionally is meant to celebrate the end of winter and the coming of spring, a time of productivity and fruitfulness. Each year people dress up in old clothes, usually white or light in color, and take to the streets armed with powdered dyes and liquid colors with the aim of coloring everything that comes their way. It is a day to celebrate with loved ones and forget the worries of everyday life, and more importantly it unites everyone, old and young, rich and poor, into one big celebration. Although originally an Indian tradition with a religious background, the festival of Holi has gained great popularity all over South Asia and is celebrated in Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan as well.
Basant
Basant, like Holi, is a festival that celebrates the season of spring. It is very popular in Pakistan and is essentially a large-scale kite-flying competition. While the day is meant to celebrate life, color and unity, the kite-flying competition quite often results in rivalry among neighbors as they dexterously compete to "cut" the strings of each other's kites. Kite flying is considered an art in Pakistan and is a skill that takes a participant several contests to really master. As families gather atop terraces in the city, music is played at deafening volumes while people anxiously search the sky, watching for the next kite to fall. Food is plentiful, and people are dressed in their most colorful outfits. Basant celebrations last from morning to evening and are a delight to experience, especially as the sun sets and the flying kites form beautiful shadows that polka-dot the sky -- an amazing scene to photograph, by the way.
Gerewol
Let me now take you all the way to Africa to celebrate the festival of Gerewol. Gerewol is an annual tradition of the Wodabee people, who gather in Niger for the purpose of finding a partner. Quite unlike traditional spouse-choosing customs that are more familiar to us, Gerewol takes up this task by having men participate in a beauty contest while women watch and wait to be impressed. The criteria are simple: good dance moves, a perfect set of white teeth and a tall height. How to increase the chance of convincing a woman to choose you: detailed makeup, a stunning outfit and a persuasive song-dance routine. People who have attended a Gerewol claim that the festival is truly unique. How often do you see men with painted faces and decorative costumes stepping out in public with the sole aim of being chosen as a partner? Well, I just love this change in stereotypical gender roles!