THE SHOPSKI FESTIVAL DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: ATTITUDES, SATISFACTION AND VISION FOR THE FUTURE
Keywords:
Local communities, festivals, holidaysAbstract
The report presents the results of an empirical sociological study conducted in the spring of 2021 in the city of Elin Pelin. The main research methods for verifying the research objective are in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and participatory observation. The focus of the study is how a local folklore festival, its organizers and guests define the relationship between its symbolic and economic significance at the level of local identity. The research interest is aimed at analyzing the "new festivity" as a result of the consequences of the global epidemiological crisis Covid-19. The local festival is seen as a joint action, an initiative of a given local community providing a range of development opportunities, both for the community as such and also for the settlement in which
it is held. By their nature, local festivals are practices in which all members of the community are equal; they share a common experience, a certain type of relationship is built that supports community consensus and identification. Local holidays have a huge impact on the local community as they generate a number of benefits. Festivals not only restore social unity and structure, but also represent a dynamic mechanism by which community is redefined and changed over time. In the specialized literature, when studying these events, special emphasis is placed on the fact that they are associated with a certain type of social relations both between community members as participants and observers of the events, and with external guests as their spectators and/or participants. In this way, holidays are both a basis for community identity and a basis for solidarity among local people. Therefore, local holidays have
their own energy that sets them apart from other similar events/initiatives and in this sense they are the antithesis of alienation and social isolation. When studying the specifics of local holidays, an important essential element is that they provide an opportunity for all members of the community to participate in activities, without discrimination based on ethnic origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion. This strengthens the local capacity to deal with the effects of all kinds of hazards and disasters, including the Covid 19 pandemic. The lasting involvement of local people in the life and problems of the community sustainably strengthens and develops the assets, interests, activities and networks of cooperation that and daily deal with community issues and thereby accumulate expertise
and experience in dealing with unstable community conditions and hazards. Based on the results of the conducted qualitative studies, an attempt will be made to bring out the main structural elements of a folklore local celebration held every year in the town of Elin Pelin, recreating centuries-old traditions and carrying assets of the local communities.
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