Posts Tagged ‘rituals’
A little piece of an Indian market
This picture is from a market in South India, where these Henna-stamps are displayed. Handmade and carved in wood they are real pieces of art, and truly beautiful. Painting the hands with henna is a sign of festivity for Indian women. During weddning most the attending females are decorated with henna on their hands, the bride is wearing the most henna. Rubina Ali, child actress in Slumdog Millionarie, in the picture below, wore henna when she attended the Oscars is a contemporary example how henna decoration markes a festivity or important occation.
Midsummer -Swedens’ fertility ritual
Posted by Johanna in Anthropology on juni 19th, 2009
Today the Midsummer festivities begins, Midsummers eve is always on a friday around the 20th of june. The celebration is normally a two-day ritual. On midsummer-friday the great midsummer-pole on the above picture, will be risen. The pole is placed in the centre of the festival-area, and there will be dancing around the pole, consumption of traditional food items, games, and Swedish schnapps. The dress code differs around Sweden, the typical capital-citizen would wear maybe a flowered patterns dress or a nice shirt. It is popular especially in the Dalarna community to wear traditional national costumes on this day. Children and adults tie flowers into a flower crown to put in their hair.
The ritual is a symbolic the celebration of summer, fertility and greenery. The pole is said to symbolise the fallos. As a young girl I used to pic seven different flowers to put under my pillow on the midsummer’s eve. The old saying is that if a unmarried girl does so, she will dream about her husband to be. This night is foll of energy in a sense it is the festivity of love, fertility and the flowers are in full bloom in this season.
A ritual in depth
Posted by Johanna in Anthropology on juni 10th, 2009
This is an attempt to capture the fornnordic ritual jólablót, this ritualistic event is portrait with an inside perspective since I have participated in all the above events on many occasions:The preparations for this ritual starts within the nuclear family about 30 days before the ritual is to take place.The first sunday in December the first preparatory ritual takes place; a candle is lit, symbolic for the dark times that this month brings In the nordic country Sweden during December. The light is lit in a four-light chandelier, on the second sunday od december two candles are lit, and so forth. When the fourth candle is lit, is symbolised the main day of celebration of jólablót.
11 nights before the jólablót ritual a group the best local singers perform at all the communites. They have beforehand voted for the most suitable female to go first in the parade, portraying the main character of the event, she is waering a crown of candles, she is the saint Lucia. Note how she is the berarer of light. This Lucia ritual takes place in every swedish school, daycare centre, retirement-home and also on national television and in concert halls and churches. On this day December 13 traditional food items are consumed, ginger cookies and Lussebullar.
24 of December is the day of jólablót, a major day for celebration in Sweden. The nuclear secular family eats a traditional porridge brunch together, others join the church for singing and give worship on this day, birthday of jesus. On the evening families get together for traditional food and exchange of gifts. Some people have the porridge in the evening, and inside the porridge one almond can be hidden. The person who gets the almond in her portion, is said to be the first one around the table to get married/married next year. There is also singing and dancing around a candle-lit decorated tree.
Not until 20 nights after the main ritual the Swedish Christmas is over. Tjogonedag knut is the day when the decorated tree is thrown out of the houses. Then it takes another 11 moths and this, the greatest Swedish ritual takes place again.
Swedish Rituals- part of the UNESCO world heritage?
Posted by Johanna in Anthropology, Global on februari 5th, 2009
As an anthropologist I have studied different rituals performed by people all over the world. Now my own rituals are being investigated to be marked as UNESCO world immaterial heritage, this is great! The rituals that are being considered is the unique Midsummer celebration, the Lucia celebration and the Indigenous people the Samis’ Reindeer Husbandry.
The UNESCO world heritage foundation is according to the Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter discussing the issue of making some of the very Swedish traditions part of the world heritage. This is interesting to me how rituals as immaterial world heritage can become preserved by a foundation.
The Swedish rituals are a part of my habitus and to me not so remarkable… So I am glad the the UNESCO foundation can have the outsider perspective on Swedish culture. I have to admit that I am not one of the pro-Swedish culture speakers. In fact I never decorate my home for Christmas or Easter, or any other occation which most swedes do, I do not consume the traditional dishes on Christmas, Midsummer and Easter… This is because I chose an alternative lifestyle without the unnecessary suffering of animals. Swedish traditional (old school) food is to a large extent based on the consumption of meat. I think that is a major reason for me not particularly eager to participate in the Swedish traditions.
But I should be proud of this heritage and I should be a part of it! Anthropologically speaking the purpose of rituals are to celebrate and preserve the society in question. Rituals are the glue of the society and are therefore of great importance for the cohesion of the society. I need to start participating. I think it would be sad if we, the children of the 80ies, would not pass our cultural rituals on to our offsprings. We need to start reflect, appreciate and participate in the rituals that take place around us.
Even though my ambivalent position regarding the consuming items on these rituals, I am glad that they are being preserved as immaterial world heritage. We are always a part of our past, present and future.
Thumbs up- The Swedish rituals that are on their way to becoming an UNESCO world heritage.
During the midsummer ritual swedes are dancing in folk costumes
