Święto i Jego Kulturotwórcza Rola

Celebrating is a natural attribute of human beings, and holidays are a permanent element of culture. Some scholars even claim that it is celebrating and holidays that fundamentally distinguish man from animals, and also from God. The holiday fulfils various social functions: it is an expression of the alternation and cyclical nature of human life; it gives sense to the life of the individual and society; it brings people together; it is a social tie through history; it is a time of activity, of increased happiness and the substrate of experience; it helps to disperse tension, dissipate conflicts, pass difficult times. Nations and cultures, regions and local cultures are distinguished by their holidays and manner of celebrating. Every holiday has certain permanent formal elements, such as the preparations, timeframe, defined spatial elements, rituals, proper clothing, an organizer, active participation, gifts. Celebrating a holiday is an important part of the social process since it serves to transfer certain content and forms, such as the individual’s roots in the family, local society or nation. Holidays are an important element of social identity and culture - enduring and yet mutable. Celebrating, like many other abilities, has to be learned.