Societies hold festivals and other communal celebrations to reinforce important values, to keep traditions and memories alive, or to honor the beliefs of their religion. Many are combinations of secular and sacred influences. Some governments encourage celebrations to foster patriotic traditions. Some have even limited the number of festivals to limit the power of the religious authority. Edward Stanton writes of Spanish fiestas, "The festive spirit creates a breakdown of everyday norms and inhibitions, a freeing of the body and senses, a renewed sense of fellowship and a closer identity to the community and its traditions. After a true fiesta, life is never the same."

You will select three European festivals that fulfill a religious or secular function within the community. Use what you have learned to design and create an informational travel brochure explaining why these societies hold these festivals. Describe what the experience of attending these festivals would be like.

Look at the photograph below. Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper.

Cabezudo (fathead) "Vinegar-Face" and child, fiesta of San Fermín, Pamplona, July 1983. Photograph by Cristina García Rodero, Getty Research Institute, Research Library, 90.R.34.

• What does the type of costume this person is wearing reveal about the nature of this festival?
• How might a person's behavior change when wearing a costume during a fiesta?
• Why is this child likely to remember this moment later in life?

Use the World Cultures Today articles listed below to research three European festivals. As you read, keep the assigned themes in mind. Remember that your informational brochure will need to identify the cultural influences of these festivals.

Use the 3-Column Chart to organize your information. Label your columns with the names of your three festivals. Use row headings such as Reinforce Values, Maintain Traditions, Honor Religious Beliefs, Honor Patriotic Beliefs.

Create your brochure. Remember to include specific facts and details that support the connections you are making between the themes and the festivals. Strive to present your brochure in an exciting way that would convince a European traveler to visit those regions during the festival time.

Your teacher will use these questions to assess your writing:

• Did you create an appealing and well-organized brochure?
• Did your brochure include facts and supporting details?
• Did you clearly explain how each festival demonstrates the assigned themes?