In Tune With the World_ a Theory of Festivity - Josef Pieper

$

JOSE PIEPER N U WH H WLD A Theory of Festivit In this stimulating ad timely study, Dr Pieper takes up a teme of paramount importance i his thiking: that festivals belog y rights among the great topics of philoophical discussio. As he develops his teory of festivity, the modern age comes uder close ad ainful scrutiny. It is oious tat we no longer kow what festivity is, amely the celebratig of existence uder varous symbols Dr Pieper exposes the pseudo festivals, i heir harless ad their siister forms: traditional feasts cotamiated by commerciaism; artiicial holidays created i the interest of merchandisers; holidays by coercion, decreed y dictators the world oer; festivals as mil tary demonstratios; holidays empty o sg iicance And asty we are gien the poca-

PI-otograph by nlher, Mi'sf

Born in 1904, Josef Peper studed phlosophy law an socology and has been a member of he facuty at the Universy of Mnser snce 1946 Or Peper has ecure wely a Amer-

N TUNE WTH THE WORLD

 H  H

The End of Tie ortitude nd epernce ppiness nd Contepltio eisure the ss of Culture Schosticis The Silence of St Thos uide to oas uins elef nd Fth nthuss nd ivine dness he our rdin rte

JOSEF PEPER

n Tue With the orld  THEORY O ESTIVIY

rned  he en by Rchrd nd Cr Wino

 L D UR WOLFF OOK RCOUR RC  ORLD C



W YORK

Copyright© 6 by Ksel-Verag KG, Munche Engish ransain 6 y Harcr, Brace  Wrd, Inc. A rgs resrve N par f h k may e rerce in any frm r y any mechanca means, incding dpcaing machin and ae recrer, wih permssin i wriing frm he pser. First edin Orignay pished in Germany nder he ie Zusmmung zur Welt y seerag Muncen Library f ngress aag ard Nmber: 6- Prnted n the Unied Saes  America

Acknowledg ment is made for peission o use quoaons from sanzas VI an VI fom "Bea and Wine in Hderin ems ansla by Michal Hambue, Th avill Pss Ld. Lonon

COTET

 The subec of fesiviy ivoves the whoe of exsece The excep io iserte ito workady ife Meaigfu work pesupposs fu kowdge a acceptace of reaity. Just puishme he festi va: sometig ieret, for a chage" Free activiy Wor ad  ay Wh is a ac ha is meaigfu i isef?  he tric of dig peope who reay are abe o rejoice What is the meaig of havig a goo time"? Seeig as  form of fuet Vso eatca he factor of coempatio. Sacrce of the yie of wor Festiviy as a aspec of weah The roo is ove   Day of reocg. Receivig what is oved. Everythig tha is, is goo. Hidd asset ad rfusal of asset. he tet evrastg festiva he ori of festivas aise of Go i pubic wor hi   here r wory bu o profae fesivas The fesiva as trat he relatio of festiva to rtua rmatio as the fudatal for of Chrisia woship me, leuia, echasta Te fruit of fes tivity i ure ift. Wellwishg" o a festva Rapture: escape ro te ere  ow   he ouwar spc of fstvity. Suday ad Easter: he fud mtal foms o the Csta oliday Saat  Suday. he escable ivoveet i heooca cotroversy he Seveth 

y cebrion of e gf of being cree n imge of he cong ge Eser he" fesivl of he hrch e hve nening holi y" 

 esvls n he ne rs Bo ve n nsr" chrce The elion of fesiviy in e medium of e rs. Te pl of r is in e fesivl. Armion s e founion of ll rs. Ces ' ao q ca The origin of lngue in fesivl os or Pseor n pseofesiviy W s  erio of er"   orrpion of iionl fesivs by commercilism Arici holiys esblse by men. The dy he Lor s me." Fesivls of he rench Revoion. re repssion of eligios holiys oerciveness n mnipe rejoicing. Unreliy n boreom gic oper. Te people s oje of e celebrion he leis or s  pries of socil felicy."   Hisoricl origin of he soclis My y celebron y of es n srkes. Rejecion of rdiionl fesivls s borgois insiuions The s of My nder e icosip of e proleri  holy of volry wor" (Mim Gory) . Lbor rmy  labor eserers e cruil for e omplee sbseiene of men Demonsrion  of miliry power Approimion o nifesivl  W e moern euivlen of fesivls Srie in e elm of e mind elr de rdin. e irele ooess o eng Renouncing e evasions of eupemism n sler Moen niilism oery love, e eperiene of de, pilosopiin insrucible modes fo escping  wol of uiliy e rue fsvl is lwys beig clbe. e undid siuaion bewee everlsing  fesvl n nifesvl NTES



DX F NAM

 v

BI AITAS GAT BI ST FESTIVITAS

sosto

E  E E  E

The Grman word Fest mbracs th manings of Englis fas, fstival fstity ft holdy and kndrd notions. h Grman Feier (from Latn eri also has a rod spctrum of manings: lration solmnzaton lisur, tim aftr ork holiday, t  this anslation no attmpt has n mad to stablsh a onsistnt trminology basd on ths ords; thy ar rndrd drntly n drnt ontxs It may hor b hlpful to th radr to ralz that ethr Fe or Feier, or ts drats, undrls e Eng s arant

N TUNE TH THE RD



Ceran ngs can e adequaey dscussed ony   e same me e sea of he hole of he orld and of lfe If e are no eady o do tha e ge u all clam o sayng anyhng sgn can Deah and loe are such subjecs Fesy oo mus e n cluded n ha caegory Ths becomes aaren as soon as e  o ge eyond mere descron of he facs Le us sar h ha les neares o hand If for exame e consder he dsncon beeen he fese and he oraday e soon realze ha he anhess belongs o que a deren cae gory from say ha of le and rgh or day and ngh We do no mean only tha a orng da and a feas day are muually exc se; e also mean ha or s an eeryday occurrence hle  feas s somehng seca nusual an neruon n the ordnar assage of me A holday eery day"-or een eery oher day s an de ha canno be realzed n racce een hough  may no ncssar run counr o te conc o estty n s1  s hardly feasble n he les of men exsng here and no The fese qualy of a holday deends on s beng exceona A fes al can arse only ou of the foundaon of a lfe hose ordnar shae s ge y he orng da 

 iderch cass of donohngs are ard  o i even o ams emseves e aone o ceebra a fesiva The dol vta is a des eraey nfesive aair Ter is incidenay considerabe esi mony ha his sad uh appied aso o he couy svas o he Baroe eod which an an nnocen hisorian has described as highy fesive occasions The robabii is h hey srang no from joy in ivin, b from fear from hoo vau because he e prereuisie or fesiviy was ackng a hese cours They had "no everyday ife and o work nohing b me o heir hands and boredom  Incidenay, sedofesivas s as we as sedowork o a aciviy o every kind of eendre of eor and earning of oney deserves he name of work Tha shod be aied ony o he aciveand say aso aboriosrocremen of he hings ha are ry sef for iving And i is a good gess ha ony anngl work can rovide he soi in which fesiviy orishes Perhaps boh work and ceebraion sring from he ame oo o ha when he one dries p he oher wiher B of corse eaningf work sgnies more han he mere fac of workaday accompishmen The impicaion is ha man nder ands he work and acces i for wha i reay is, namey he iing of he d whih aways incudes bo hainess and oi saisfacion as we as swea of he brow joy as we as e consmion of via energy If on eemen in hese airs is s ressed he reai of work is fasied and fesiviy is red o We ms consider his maer in more concree erms In a  aiarian sae abor is goried, and overnmen roaganda o mances rses n e procon nces as  wor were se  form of ceebraion A e same ie re fesviy canno eis i sch a sae he very nar of he sae is agains i B he o siiiy of fesiviy is desroyed even more horohy by he ohe fascaon he iew ha man' daiy ife aken as a whoe s nohing  veaon meaniness se deady drdgery in a word an absrdiywhich howevr e i a wh 

ishes o sender neiher his digni no his cariy of visio i no simpy endre in d passiviy, b wi epiciy a and choose for he sake of is very absrdiy "One ms imagine isyphs happy, says Aber Cams o ha his srenosy prsed happiness, his ceebraon of he "vicory of he absrd, s very credibe In fac i s even ess credibe han he oed "ra dian epression of he racor driver who is meeing his oa eher he dedicaion of he akhanovie nor he doggedness of ishs aows room for he sponaneiy of ife which is indis pensabe o fesa eaaion For ha, i is essenia o oo po reay hoe, and above a o ase hings as hy reay are,  he bier ber and he see see To be sre, bierness isef can conain a heaing eemen e good may be fond in he bad, bonum n mao This remarkabe posae hods appareny, ony in a singe cone I hesiae o ca i y name, becase o do so wi ineviaby give rise o a hos of msndersandngs if no worse I refer o he cone of ut unhmnt and o he fac a he sondes, sanes, and mos herapic hing a jsy pnishd person can do is o accep his pnishmen as his de ad no ry o fasify i y preending ha he enjoys he ase of i, or ha he hs chosen i For by endring he bierness he maum he my hope ha a eas by his own ife he is aoning for wha he has don, repairing he wrong and ng evi o good h he is resoring a baance ha cod no be resored in any oher way Te fac is, as everyone knos ha Chrisendom' sacred boo ca work, and incidnay deah aso a pnishmen Tha s a sbjc oo broad o discss here If e even aemped , e shod have o anser e eson Why has pnishmen bee mpo, an y om n n  so n orsves sarey in he hear of hoogy i, i is good o remind orseves ha sch esions can be maningfy asked, and can aso  ansered nd i is good for s o e avned now and again  he idea ha a pah has aredy een ad dow and ads awa 

om an aide oward work a i eeniay inman in bo i armaive and neaive aspecs e rea nare of fesviy of core, i no made apparen soey y i conras o abor  feiva i no jus a day wi o work, of core i m be aed, because om wrier ae ied o dene e esence of feiviy ony in erm of i dierence. rdinary peec ms be aken a i face aue, e armen rn; as a rue peope can say no more abou a uccef fesiva an a i was somehin dieren, for a cane, a "you fe as if yo were ranpored o anor word for e ime bein. Tis, e armen coninue, eprese precisey wa make e ceebraion a ceebraion a omeing oer    an daiy ife    become accesibe in i How eer, e auor adde i a eooianno one i oin o be dped ino imainin a eier a vilae sooin cones or, ay, a fesiva' pay i realy anoer word' for wic reaon e penomenon of enine ceebrion    is realy presen ony in reiiou acs in wic man as creare can rap e ruy oer' and absoey new' word of e ory of God. Tis ob servaion, owever, indicae a we need o undersand more abou e dicoomy beeen e fesive and e everyday an a ey are opposie. A one poin or anoer we mus dene e inner nare of is dierence in posiive erms. To do o, we need no immediaey cros e border ino eo oica erriory, a we ave done ereaou a border i, f course, no far away. Firs, i will be proable o eamine some what more closely the relationship of festivity to work In doing so,

we nd a we can come closer o formulain e aliy of a fesival, and a i is more an e pause wic nerrups e normal coure of everyday work. To  sure, i is a oo; le u re member a Plao cas e reliious oiday a breain pe,  anaula A day o from work, a day free from e necesiy of



aing ne' ieihood, i afr a enia o a fesia in her rd a day free f vl wrk Qie ndersandaby, ha adjecie vil brings s p shr Ye cnceaed behind i is an insigh indispensabe  r graspng he essence f fesiiy I ms be noed in passing ha he nder ying cncep of  vil riginay carried n sighes impi caion f cnemp Raher, he erm referred ny  aciiy ser ng a prpose side isef (r crrespnding adjecie wd be sef r iiarian) B ie aside frm he cnnain f he erm, serie wrk is by nare dependen n smehing ese I canno be hgh f apar from is prpose As a cncep, i is par f a sysem f ideas, and we can scarcey consider i wih cnsidering i coordine cnerpar Tha cnerpar is n inaciviy r nnwork, b free aciviy,  ll: wrk ha des n he a prpse side isef, ha is meaningf in isef, and fr ha very reason is neiher sef in he sric sense nr servie r serviceabe A his pin we can grasp he ery ip, a eas, f ha hidden insigh Far be i frm s  sgges ha aciiy ha is meaningf n isef is synnyms wih fesiiy B we hae, i wd seem, discered a ccia componen f fesiiy T ceebrae a esia eans  d smehing which is in n way ied  her gas, hich has been remed from a s ha and in rder  Tre fesiiy cann be imagined as residing anywhere b in he ream f aciiy ha is meaningf in isef The frher impican is, hen, ha anyne wh is a a s  say wha aciiy ha is meaningf in isef is wi as be a a ss  dene he cncep f fesiiy And if ha incapaciy is eisena, insead o merey ineeca, en he peisi o achieing an kind f fesiviy is acking Wih he dah f he cncep f hman aciiy ha is meaningf in isef, he pssi iiy f any resisance  a aiarian aboring sciey s per shes (and sch a regime cod er we be esabished en 

o oncoman oca dcaorsp)  en becomes  seer mpossby o esabsh and manan an area of esenc whc s no preeped by work For ere s ony a sne jscaon for no workn a w be accepabe even o one's own conscence Tha s, dedicaon of eisre o somehn meannf n sef I s more mporan no ony socay b aso on a er man eve o work an o ki me and f we onras he aborn socey and s oaaran pannn for iy w a vizaon dedcaed many o eneranmen, e former seems who eson overwhemny speror ncidenay, we may ave reached a pon wen e pracca prerese o fesvy, iberaion from work, s sef becon a dbos proposion I was receny poned o, wh he mos serosness, ha e aeod hman dream of a fe free of oi s on he vere of ben ncanniy fed and, ke he fmen of wses n faryaes, comes a a omen when  can ony be sefdefean becase he aborn socey no oner knows of hose oher and more meannf acves for e sake of wc hs freedom wod deserve o be won  How can we vsaze somen a serves non ese, ha by s ery nare as meanin ony n s own erms? Amos nevay here comes o mnd a noon a as been mc dscssed in anhropooca erare of recen decades aho  as been he sbjec of consderabe romanc speca on, as we as of sond anayss I am referrin o he concep of a oes no pay epiomze a pre posefness n ef, we mih ask? Is no pa acvy meannf n sef, neein no aran jscaon? And sod no fesvy erefore be in erpree chey as a form of pay? Obvosy, hese are eremey cope esons wc canno be seed merey n pasin. Neverheess, we wod hazard a e erm a does no aeaey ene e disnshn ea  o r civi,  aon of svi To be se Pao o 

ssocites the two ieas when e seks o te grcosness  pla and estival 11 And i seriousness s Hege sas s wor in elaon to e need 1 ten t does seem logcal to equae pla wt evt in smlar so In act a real esval can scarcel be conceved unless te ingredent o laperas also altough ere I m not so sure te ingredent o laulnessas entered into t. But all tis has not anseed te crucial question f weter te elemet o l makes an ction eanngul in tself Huan acts derive ter eanng rmail from ther con ten m tr oe o om t mae  c te ae eromed. Pla oev eems to be ce a ere odu f cton  secc wa o eromng something at an rate a purel fomal detenant Tus it is natual enough tat people nevitabl ounder in ntasms an unrealies wen te t to regard ll tose huan ctivities that are oviousl not jst wor s la nd noting ore te work of the rtist tof the writer u sicin anterr even relgous ors. For suddenl everthing t w eaningful in itself slis through ter ngers nd be coes  game et of all eaning. igicn one good rg ent gainst Huiznga's book on homo udn, which reresent he religious estivals of ritive peoles purel s pla3 s t is iew is tntount to saing that all sacred ct are enngess. Incidentall tis ojection as not been de b  theoogian; e critic s an thnologist rotestng against dstortion of eric bsetion1 he question then remains oen B at virtue does n c ssess t nnr qulit of bein eaninfu n tself





ut someone ma remonstrate oes not eerone know what  festival is anhow he question is not altoether ieleant However I no one asks me I know i I wish to explain it to one that asks I know not his sentence rom t Auustine' ofio 1 althouh written in relation to somethin else is hihl applicable to the concept o estivit he problem is to put into wors what everone means an knows owaas however we are forceull aske both what  fes val is an even more what the pscholoical prerequisites re for celebratin one The trick is not to arrane  festival but to n people who can o it he man who jotte own thi aphorism nearl one hunre ears ao was Frierich ietzsche his enius as this sentence once aain illustates la to no smal eee in that seismoaphic sensitivit to what was to come e implication is that festivit in enera is in aner o extinction for arranements alone o not make a festival ince ietzsche' a it has become a more or less stanar matter to connect the miser o this present ae with man's incpacit for estivit 3 We ma o course suspect that this loom inosis rather over n    chac e t was never eas to mee 

the equiemet that geat estivals be celebated i the pope spiit As the histo o eligios tells us empt ad weaisome pomp ested eve at the eek estivals evetheless it is pecuia to ou time that we ma coceive o estivit ite as beig expessl epudiated This ve situatio gives ise to the questio pompts us to decide o ouselves what pesumabl evebod kows ad takes o gated amel what the essece o estivit is ad what should  doe so that me i ou time ca peseve o egai the capacit to celbate eal estials estivl a cpacit which coces the heat o lie ad pehaps co stitutes it Mee desciptio o classical o medieval o eve ast Idia estials o matte how accuate ad stiig does ot uthe ou aim at all ve a mopholo stlistic histo o sociolog o estials would ot especiall help us uch studies ot ol ail to aswe the questio the do ot eve touch it We must attack the questio i a a moe udametal sese But does ot celebatig a estival mea simpl the equivalet of havig  good time Ad does ot eveoe kow what that is Pehaps sbut gai a ew questios aise What is a good time Does athig o the sot exist Ma it ot be that the ol kid o good time that is eall possible is  time o good wok These ae questios we caot ase uless we have a coceptio o ma Fo what is ivolved is the ulllmet of huma ie ad the om i which this ulllmet is to take place Ievitabl theeoe we d ouselves coceed with such ideas as the peectio o ma eteal lie liss Paadise ow thee is little poit i leaig what a idividual thiks all o his ow about such udametal mttes o matte how oia i idea ma e  th am e ud e a  iat t is moe wadg to cosde hat the tadto o humaits wisdom ito which the thought o whole geetios has eteed has to tell us To be sue we eed scacel expect that this tale will be eas to decphe Te tadioa name o the utmost peectio to whic a 

a aan, e ulllmen o is bein, is vo b e see n a cones bliss. is is o say a e ies inensica ion o ie, e absolely peec aciviy, e nal sillin o all voiion, and e paain o e mos llness a lie can o fe, akes place as a kind o seein moe pecisely, a al his is acieved in seein awaeness o e divine ound o e nivese.  Incidenally, e adiion in ic is iew may be ound ex ends muc ue back han e isian cenies, peaps back byond isoical ime aoee. A ew eneaions beoe lao, e Geek Anaxaoas, in answe o e quesion o wa e ad been bon o, eplied Fo seein. nd in laos Smpoum Dioima clealy expesses e adiional wisdom o e vo b  is is a ie above all oes wic man sould live, in e conempaion o divine beauy is makes man immoa.  Bu escaoloy alone is no e issue e adiiona wisdom oes no speak ony o e ulimae peecion o ie in e ee ae. I speaks also o man as an ealy bin apein in is ory, and assers a man by naure caves e appeasemen o is earnins hou seein. In is pesen ie aso, e umos ap piness akes e om o conemplaion. Mos o al we eseem e sense o si, Aisole says in e very beinnin o his Mp nd iere eilad de Cadin beons o e same adion wen e suess (in e emakable caper on vision wic suprisiny opens is book, T Pomo of M ha all ie is compreended wiin seein, and a e woe evoluion o e cosmos aims above al a e eaboaion of eve more perec eyes.  Suc early conemplaion can ae a ood many ieren forms. I may be e pilosopes consideaion o e Woe  exisence or e paricula vision o e ais, wo seeks o pene ae o e pooypal imaes o hins in e nivese o e con emplaive paye o one absobed in he divne myseies. Wen ver anyone succeeds in binin beore is minds eye  idden :

gron of verhng verhng ha s, he sccees o e sa same me gr gre e n er foing an ac ha is meaninl in isel, and has a good ime rom his i  ollows ha e conce o esiv esivi i is i s inconceival inconceivalee iho an lemen o conemlaion. is does no mean xern h argmenaiv inellec, b h siml iniion o rason o h nres o hogh, b he minds ee resing on havr aniess sel I means a relaxing o he srenos xaion o he  on  iven ram o reeence, wiho wic no iliarian ac is accomlised. Insead, he eld o vision widens, concrn for success or ailre o an ac alls awa, and  sol urns o is inn in nie ie obec i i  bcoms bcoms aware o he he illimiabl illi miabl horion hori on o reali s a whol Ehnoloical and hisoricoculral wriers hav on oined o a a nion o eace, inensi o lie, and conemlaion  s ssenal or esivi, so ha o celebrae a esivl is qivalen o ecoming conemlaive and, in is se, direcl conronin h highr realiies on wich he wole o esenc rss.   Sc observaions accord compleel wih everons expeinc Bsl s no mak a esival on he conra, i can soil one. O cors is does no mean ha a esival is siml conemlaion and rcollecion o sel an sc claim is clel belied b xpei enc Neverheless, we clin o e eeling ha a secial sice, es senal o  rig celebraion o a esival, is a kin o expecan aleress ne ms be able o look ouh and, as i wre, be ond he immediae maer o he esival, including he fsal gis one ms ngae in a lisenin and erore ncssaril iln, mediaion on h ndamen o xisenc  onl rl legiimae reason o a da ee rom work is his form o reconiion o wa is meaninul n isel. In a wok wri en  omas uns in is ou is iea is eessed in an nsal wa. He commens a e oman ilosoher Seneca was no so wron in is moce o e Jewis Saba or bein lled wih em rials. For, e sas, sch  da is no os, n 

u, on i a is done on e Sabba o wc i s ap poined e conemplation o divine ins, voum om lo e aniesis beween olida and wokda, o moe pecisel, e concep o e da o es, ells us somein ue abou e essence o esivi e da o es is no jus a neual ineval in seed as a link in e cain o wokada lie I enails a loss o iliaian po In voluntail keepin e olida, men e nounce e ield o a das labo is enunciaion as om ime immemoial been eaded as an essenial elemen o es ivi 1  A denie span o usable ime is made, as te ancien o mans undesood i, te exclusive popet o e ods 1  As e animal o sacice was aken om e ed, so a piece o avail able ime was expessl witdawn om uili 1  e da  es, en, mean no onl a no wok was done, bu also a an  ein was bein made o e ield o labo I is no meel a e ime is no ainull used e oein is n e naue   sacice, and eeoe e diameic opposie o ili I scacel need be said a in a wold ovened b e concep o uili, ee can be no time se aside on pinciple, an moe an ee can be land se aside on pinciple none wo called fo i would be accused o saboain wok Fo a ve eason e oaliaian lain societ mus o necessit be an aloee unesive socie, jus as i is maked b scaci and impoveis men even wen ee is te eates abundance o maeial oods Similal, e man wo is limied o absoluel uiliaian acivi o e  l and wo is us poltaianized in a sense as il been caed unestive            On e ote an, voluna enunciation o e ield o a woin da cus ou e pinciple o calculan uilit, and e pinciple o pove als Even in condiions o exeme mateial scaci, e wi oldin om wok, in te mids o a lie nomall ovened b ok, ceaes an aea o fee suplus is en, unexecedl ins us o a new aspec o a holida 4

 festva s essetally a henomeno o weath ot, o b sr he wealth o money, ut of estental rchness sence f a aton, n act avshness, s one o ts eements  course there  a natural erl and a erm o deeneraon nherent n ths Th way s oen to senseless and ecessve waste of the yeld of work o an etraaance that voltes all ratonalty The roduct o  whole year's aor can e thron ay o  snle day As s well knon, men are qute caale of such ehavor ut ths otental erverson cannot e ncluded thn the denton of festvty, as has recently een done We ma roerly say that every festval conceals thn tsel at least a erm o ecess; 1 ut t s hhly msleadn  estval tsel s dened as l o  la o  1  as  sumeence n creatve cos True enouh, the fact remans that the armountcy of a calculatn, economn entalty revents oth estve ecess and estvty tself In the woraday world all mnicence and om s calculated, an herefore nestve The myrad lhts of a commercled hrst s nevtaly seem ascally meaer, wthout any real radace e rememer G K hesterton's een comment on the daln advertsements o Tmes Squre at nht What  lorous sh for those who lucly do not kno how to read Such an act of renuncaton and scrcal oern, however annot e maned as en erormed at rndom The talk of valuale worin tme s, ater all, not just tal somethn t terly real s nvolved Why should nyone decde to sacrce  recous artcle wthout sucent reason I e roe a ttle ore insstently for a reason, we nd  cuous analoy to the other, the ontemltve sect o the day of rest, of hch we have alreay soen The achevement o contemlton, snce t s the seen, he ntuton o the eloved ject, resuoses a secc non intellectual, drect, nd estentl relaton to relty, n estental concord of a th the orld and th hmsel recsely in the same ay the act o reely vn onesel cannot te lace un ess it ese ro rom te root of  comreensve ato 

o whch no ohe em can be ound han ove In spe of e ckes o banaliy senimenaliy, and nealisc spiiual aon a eaen o smoe e ue meann o s wod,  emans ndsensable hee s no ohe wod a so ecisely de noes wha s a sse We do no enounce hns, en, exce o love is y pohesis will ave o be examined moe closely Neveheless, we have no advanced  whou consideable ouh. Above all, we hope a  will seve as a new vanae poin om which e will be able o see moe deely no e dea as well as e acualiy of esv



Perhas eause we are so aller to b words, we estate t seak of a festval as a day of rejon All the same, we should have to onur f someone hose to understate a lttle and alled t t the least a joyous aar. On a festval day, eole enjoy them selves. Eve one who terms t qute a trk to nd suh eole s erely san that t has beome dult and rare to elerate  festval festvely. ut no one denes that t should be, by ts a ture, a day of rejon An early Chrstan Greek went so far s to say  Festvty s joy and nothn else 1 ow t s the nature of joy to be a seondary henomenon o one an rejoe absolutely, for joys sake alone. o be sure, t s foolsh to ask a man why he wants to rejoeto that etent joy s an end n tself evertheless, the lonn for joy s nothn ut the desre to have a reason and retet for joy hs reason, to the eent that t atuall ests, reedes o and s derent from t. The reason omes rst the joy omes seond. ut the reason for joy, althouh t may be enountered n a tousand onrete forms, s alays the same ossessn or re evn what one loves, whether atually n the resent, hoed for n e futre r reebered n the ast  oy  a eresson  

ove. One who oves nothn and nobody cannot osby ejoce no matter how deserately he craves joy. oy is the resonse of  lover receivin what he loves True as it is that a real festval cannot be conceved wthout oy t is no less true that rst there must be a substantial eason for joy, whch miht also be called the festve occason Strctly seakn, it s not enouh for ths reason to est objecvely. Men must also accet and acknowlede t as a reason for joy they must exerience t themselves as a recevn of somethin they love.  odd sort of objecvty has sometmes been attributed to festvals, as thouh hey could est even wthout eole: "It s   . Easter even where nobdy celebrates t  It seems t me that such  no on s llusory as lon as we are seakn of festivals as  human realty. The nner structure of real festvty has been stated in the cler est and tersest ossble fashon by Chrysostom Ubi i gu d ibi  fivi  Where love rejoces, there s festvty Now, what sort of reaon underles festal joy and therefore fes tvty tself? "lant a owerdecked ole n the mddle of an oen lace, call the eole toetherand you have  fte Everyone one would thnksees that that s not enouh ut I dd not  vent the sentence as n eamle of nave smcaton. It was wrtten by an acques Rouseau It s an almost equally hoeless smlcaton to mane that mere deas can be the occason for real festvals Somethn more is eeded somethn of another order The celebrant hmself must have shared in a dstnctly eal eerence When Easter s declared a festva of mmortalty, t s scarcey surrsn that no resonse s forthcomnnot to seak of such fantatc roosas as those of Auuste Comte, whose reformed calendar establshed festvals of Humanty, ternty, and even Domestcity Not even the dea of freedom can nsre eole wth a srt of festvty, houh the celebraton of lberaton mhtassumn that the vent thouh ossby beonn to the distant ast stl has com

elln conemorar force Memoral das are o in hemselves festiva das trcty seakin the as canno be celeraed es ively unless he celebran communt sl draws lory and exaa on from ha as o merely as reeced hsory bu by vire of a hsorical reaiy sl oerative in he resen  If he Incaaio of od s no oner undersood as an even ha drecly concerns he resen lves of men  becomes imossble eve absrd o celebrae hrismas fesvely Josef Andreas Junann has recenly suesed ha fesvas s an nsituion have already become dervave whereas he ro oal form of fesval sll akes lace where a secc even sch as birh marrae or homecomn s ben drecly cele braed If he imlicaton s ha he secc even s he real rea son of all celebraons and also he hhes raonale whch a od e hory of fesvals can rovde he hess s no aloeher convncin e can and mus ursue he nqury furher o ask for eamle On what rounds does a secc even become he cason for fesival and celebraton an we festvely celebrae he birth of a chld if we hol wh Jean aul Sarre's dicum: I s absurd ha we are born?  Anyone who is seriously convnced ha our whole exsence is somethn hat would  beer o bein  and ha consequenly lfe s no worh lvn can o ore celebrae he birth o hs chld han ay oher brhday hs own or anyone elses a feh or stieh or any oher o sinle secic even can become he occasio or fesive celebraios u essness wha? Here s where we mus be able o ame he reason nderyin ll others he reason why evens such as birh marriae hoe co ar et as te recevn o sometn eove wtou which there can be neither joy or fesvty Aan we nd et sche eressn he crucal nshtoe ainfully brouh hoe i would seem as th result of terrble inner rials for h was s amlr with he desar of ben uable o ake eo o 

i yhi   with the v ubuded Ye  Ae ay 11 The formultio  to be foud i hi othuou ote, d red: To have joy i aythi, oe mut rove everyth. 1  Uderly ll fetive joy kidled by a ecic circumtace there h to be a bolutely uierl ratio eted to the world   whole, to the relity of th d the eitece of  hmelf Naturlly, th aroval eed o be  roduc of co cou reectio it eed o be forulated  all. Neverthele, t rem the ole foudato for fetivity, o tter wht he to be celebrted n ono Ad  the rdcal ture of eatio deee, d coequetly  ythi but ultimate rumet become ieectual, t become more ecery to refer to th ultite foudtio. y ultimate foudato I mea the covctio tht the rme fetve occaio, which aloe ca ultiately jutfy ll celebrato, relly eit; that, to reduce it to he mot coce hrse, t bottom vng    goo n   goo o x For m caot have the eeriece of receivi wht i loved, u le the world ad etece a a whole rereet omethi ood ad therefore beloved to hi Icdetlly, here i a kid of cormtio of thi from the other hore,  it were. Wheever we hae o feel heartfelt  et, to d tht omethi ecc i ood, woderful, loriou, raturoua dri of freh water, the recie fuctioi of a tool, the color of a ldce, the charm of a lovi eture,  oemour rie alwy reache beyod the ive object, if at ter tke ther aturl coure. ur trbute alway cot t let  smtterng of rmton of the worl, s  whole So tht the covere of the etece we have jut quoted i also vldd a Netche h formulated it "If it  rted tht we y Ye to  le momet, the i o do we hve sid Ye ot oly to ourelve, but to ll etece. 1 3 Need we bother o ay how lttle uch ratio h o do with hllow oti e loe with u arovl of tht which  

Such armato s ot o by delberately shuttg o's s  th horrors  ths orld Rater, t rovs ts serousss by ts coronao h horcal evl Te qualty o ths aset is suc that e must attrue t eve o martyrs, at the ery momet, er has, tht hey ersh uder brutal asault A theoloa ommet  i o the Aocalye has sad 1  that hat dtgushes the Crsa martyr s that he ever utters a ord agast Gd's Creao I st o veryth he ds th thgs tha ar "r good thereor  st o everythi he remais caabl o jo ad eve, as ar as  cocers hm, o estvt Whereas, o the other hd, hoever reuses asset to realt as a whol, o matter ho ell o he m be, s by tat act caacitated or ither jo or estvt Fesvty s mossble to the asaer The more moey he has, ad aove all the mor esure th more srat s ths mosslt to hm Ths s also true o the ma ho refuses o arov the fact f hs o estecehavg lle ito that mysterous, ieabe der rom eaess o hch Sr ereaard  has soe a hch  the old moral hlosoh et b the ame f  slothules o he heart  At ssue s a reusal regardg te very heart ad outahead o estece tsel, because of the "desar o ot ll to be oeelf 1 hch maes ma uabl to lve h hmsel He s drve out of hs o houseto the hurlyburl o oradothelse, to the esu ehaustg ame o sohcl hrasemoer, to icessat "etertai met b emty stmulats shor, ito a o ma's lad hic may be qute comortal urshed, but hch has o lace for he serety of trscally eaul actvt, for cotemlato ad cerly ot or estvt evty lves o armato ve celeratos or the dead,  Souls ad Good Friday, ca ever be truly celebratd ecet o th bss o ath that al s ell th the orl ad le as  wole I there s o osoao the idea o a ueral as a solem ac is seotradctor ut osoato is a o o reoicg 

og e mos sen of ajs as caarss, e prcao of e sou n e wessn of raed, s a boom a jol e ence e rea ocus of e rac s no n ose works o er re we erm ragedes bu n mans sorca rea.) Conso ion exiss on on e premse a gref, sorrow, dea ar acceped and erefore aed as meanngf n spe of eve ng s s he pon a wc o correc e msconcepon whch omemes prevas/ a e fesve s aso e ceerf I s sg ncan a accordng o Gree m a grea fesvas ad er orgns n e ceebraon of fnera res   And sorans o r gon ave repeaed poned ou a he ancen oman fes vas ms no be consdered smp as das of rejocn  Na ra for a fesva o deveop a broad and rc appea jesing gae and ager canno be excded from  nor even some oosness and cava Bu a fesva becomes re fesiv on wen man as he goodness of s esence b oerng e r sponse of jo Can  be a s goodness s never reveaed o s o brg and powerf as b e sdden sh o oss an dea s s e mpcaion of Hdern famos dsch on opes Antigon Vil vutn uont  Fuig uig zu gn Hi it nli  i i in  u i u

an endeavored n van jof o spea profoundes jo Here a as, n he ragc, I see  expressed  Is  erefore so surprsng a bo he armaon of e and s reecon sou e ar o reone, no on o e ee o  osder b possb o ones own nner ee  Wen we ook a  marr,  s b no means pan a e s ang e word n spe o evern; or aer a, e s no nsan recognae as a marr, bu as  deendan, a convc, a rdcuous eccen rcbu aove a as one wo as been senced mar, non assen ma aso appear nder a dsguse For exampe,  a b 

vee ve by leasueaeeable enu n tsel an sng n m see vtaltyn ancn musc, nkn s that te reecn emans  a whle hdden even m the sel. ve  ths eectn may be cnceale behnd te a�a  a me  less sham cnence n le The val lauhte  syhus, "wh neates the s an ases cks,  s decetve, even  th sense that the ecetn may succee , whch wul  n ntely hae, tat he may deceve hmsel trctly seakn, hweve, t s nsucent t call amatn  th wl a mee eequste a emse  estvty. In act t s a me t s th substance  estvty. estvty, n ts ssen tal ce, s nthn but te lvn ut  ths amatn o lb  fvl m: o lv ou fo om pl o o    uoo m  uvl  o  wol   wol Ths statement hamnes wt te cnclusns cultual an e lus hstans have aw m te studes  te  eat tyca estvals n ancent cultues an amn mtve eles. An be cause that assent t e,  t s thee at all, s the all th tme, t ecomes the wellsn  a thusnd letmate ccasns  es tvty The mmeate event may be equally te cmng  sng   a ay's st tt nsequently, we may ely seak  vlg esva as estng at east n atent m I act, huch tuy ecs nly estval dayswhch by a sne and devus lnustc evlu tn has le t a chane n te meann  f nall, te w meant "estval, ut nw t s ennn t sny the est va celete n dnay weekdas S sncant a hlsohe and thelan as Oen cntended that the namn  secc ly days was dne nly  the sae  the "unntate and e nnes wh wee nt yet caale  celeatn the "etenl estval.   ut t s stll t ealy n u dscussn t examne hs has  the matte

 o  we ut now tte exicit  concuon o which l u oegoing ide hve inexobly le o be ue  I hve oun time n gin thi ttement i uully geete with l n itut  though to voice it i omehow equivlent to lunching n uni uie ttck Nevethee I ee no egitite wy o voiding it; it i bolutey comelling both logiclly n exitentiy he concluion i iviibe into eve t  hee cn e no moe ic ent to th wo thn e ie o Go he uding o the Ceto o thi me wo. One cnnot conceive  oe intene oe uncondition mtion o being. I the het o etivity conit in en phyiclly exeing thei geement with eveything tht i thenthe itu etiv i the ot etive om tht etivity cn oiby ke he othe ie o thi coin i thtthee cn be no eie oe uthle detuction  etivit thn eu o itu pie Any uch Ny tmle out the k om which the ckeing e o fetivit ight hve been kinle new

4

V

hen e  h h riu feiv i he o fetive for of feivit o we en ht there cn be no eculr fetil Of coure not. Bu he ter i colicte n  ie ner oe not uce. On he on hn re feivi cnno be rerice o n one rcur here of ife neither o he reigiou nor o n other  i eize n eree ll ienion of exitenceo ht fro  re ecrition of the roceeding e cnno eil ell whether  fetil i "rell  ocil econoic hletic or church even  fir  nce or  fe. Unil I w eigh er ol I hough h hitun i en counr fir becue our villge woul "ceere both he   In oleo on Coru Chri D he ree cnoie ith cnv re rnfore into  vt feiv en whoe wll re fore b h etrycke f