CfA: On_Culture #20 "Celebration" (Spring 2026)
Celebration
Celebrations—far more than mere expressions of joy or commemoration—function as complex social phenomena that reveal power dynamics, cultural transformations, and evolving relationships between humans and their environment. From a toddler’s birthday party with family and friends, to New Year celebrations with fireworks or public water fights (Songkran Water Festival), to pilgrimage festivals that attract up to 400 million pilgrims (Kumbh Mela), celebrations around the world and across cultures bring people together in appreciation and/or remembrance.