Pagan Religions in Five Minutes - Suzanne Owen
47. Is Carnival a Pagan Festival?
Pagan Religions in Five Minutes - Suzanne Owen
Alessandro Testa [+]
Charles University, Prague
Alessandro Testa is associate professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University, Prague. He specializes in the history of religions, social anthropology, and the ethnology of Europe. His latest publications include Rituality and Social (Dis)Order (2020), Politics of Religion (with Tobias Köllner, 2021), and Ritualising Cultural Heritage and Re-Enchanting Rituals in Europe (2023).
Description
Carnival is a festival with nearly a thousand years of history that draws heavily from pre-existing European ritual celebrations, including ancient Roman festivals. Initially connected to the Christian liturgical calendar and the period of Lent, Carnival integrated religious observances with festive indulgence. Although often condemned as “pagan” or diabolical, Carnival flourished among the European populace. Over time, Carnival transformed, experiencing a recent revival, as a form of cultural reappropriation.