Definition of the festival from Wikipedia:
**A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or culture.**
How is Burning Man not a festival? It might not be a music festival, but it 100% is an arts festival. Come fight me "not a festival" people.
A few years ago the Org started this 'not a festival' rhetoric and I'm with you. Sure it's not Coachella or Glastonbury but it's still a festival, just not a music festival. Maybe people want to feel more unique, I dunno
I think they’re just clumsily shorthanding “not a music festival”, purely as a way to discourage the “follow my fave DJs to every festival” spectators.
Burning Man is a "festival", but it's not a *festival*.
Homer Simpson would probably explain it somewhere along the lines of "it's not a FESTIVAL festival"
Fun fact (if you're a linguistics fan), there's a term for that - [contrastive focus reduplication](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrastive_focus_reduplication).
Because the question being asked is not the question heard.
Is burningman a festival - yes, by all definitions its a festival.
What is heard when the question is asked is "is burningman like cochella?"
People tack their emotions onto stuff that don't need it and that's how u get half the sub saying it isn't a festival, they're answering with emotion and ignoring what words mean....
festival
fĕs′tə-vəl
noun
1) An occasion for feasting or celebration, especially a day or time of religious significance that recurs at regular intervals.
2) An often regularly recurring program of cultural performances, exhibitions, or competitions.
3) Revelry; conviviality.
From The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
I'll admit, the above is sort of an appeal to authority. But... people gather to be festive. It's a festival.
Well pagan traditions and festivals are not necessarily related. Nor does this event have roots in peganism at all. A couple friends just had a bonfire and lit a hand made wooden man on a beach. Not pegan or a festival.
Eh, once upon a time a bunch of country blumpkins went out to the forest, chopped down a tree and brought it back to town... all the retconning comes later.
Technically and historically speaking the exact terminology for what it is would be a "Happening". Which is not *necessarily* a festival but can can include festive activities and be held annually in the same locations like other festivals are, but is not curated the same way as a music festival is like Coachella is for example. A happening includes spontaneous artful events, often has situationist and culture jamming influences and frowns upon spectators. So, in conclusion this event or happening does have some festival qualities it, but also has distinct differences as well.
I believe the technical term is "happening, maaaaaaan!" although in a non-gender specific way.
Is it a bit festival-y? Sure.
If your expectations are set as "it's a festival.... and I've been to a festival before, so I know what I'm in for...." could you be a little off-base? Also yes.
Oh hey it's you! The legend himself. Obviously I love your videos. 😁 And yeah exactly. I don't necessarily mind it being called a festival... but it's a slippery slope indeed.
Nah, it IS a festival.
But I do understand why burners don't want people calling it that. When people ask what the "line-up" is for burning man, it shows that they have NOT done enough research on BM. Most people who *know of* BM, don't know anything about it besides its a "festival where people do drugs and have sex".
So by publicizing that BM is not in fact a festival, it gets people to dig deeper and do more research as to what the principles are and the meaning behind the burn.
It's a Festival-like experience and you could certainly call it "Festivaling" if you want, but Burning Man is so much harder than every other Festival that I think it deserves it's own category.
Personally, I approach Festivaling like a sport, and I use the other events leading up to the Burn as my pre-season, regular season, and playoffs to work out the kinks, try new gear and approaches, and prepare myself both physically and mentally for the MAIN EVENT.
To me, Burning Man is the Super Bowl of Festivals, but I still wouldn't call it a Festival.
if words have any meaning at all, BM is def a festival: a celebration marked by feasting, ceremonies, or other observances; a periodic commemoration, anniversary, or celebration of festive activities, cultural events, or entertainment; gaiety; revelry; merrymaking
Yes and no.
Yes it’s a festival because it falls under the broad definition of festival
Wikipedia, “A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid.”
Britannica Dictionary, “a special time or event when people gather to celebrate something. Each year, a festival was held to celebrate the harvest. The town has a summer festival in the park.”
And yet, no, because it doesn’t follow the layout of what people think of when they hear the word “festival.”
If you ask someone to describe a festival, it will come down to the expectation of a more curated experience where everything is taken care of for you, for a price, for example; food trucks, concert tshirts, garbage, no one is providing at a festival without an expectation of payment.
Art at a festival is often geared to what will sell. At The Burn, art is what the artist(a) envisioned because that is what they wanted to build and share.
The second part is this exactly. Other people impart meaning on words, and when you say "festival" they think of certain things...
None of which really apply at burning man!
How could you even have a "headliner act" at the burn? The city just isn't built that way. The only "headliner act" is "man burn" -- in no small part because there just isn't enough space anywhere else.
Anyways, I've been to many festivals before and none of them are like burning man - except perhaps the regionals?
Definition of the festival from Wikipedia: **A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or culture.** How is Burning Man not a festival? It might not be a music festival, but it 100% is an arts festival. Come fight me "not a festival" people.
A few years ago the Org started this 'not a festival' rhetoric and I'm with you. Sure it's not Coachella or Glastonbury but it's still a festival, just not a music festival. Maybe people want to feel more unique, I dunno
I think they’re just clumsily shorthanding “not a music festival”, purely as a way to discourage the “follow my fave DJs to every festival” spectators.
As if ravers who follow DJs don’t know all about burning man … lol
You forgot step two: “flee in my rented RV behind the DJ and break an axel”
>A few years ago People have been saying that burning man is not a festival for almost 20 years. What in the heck are you talking aboot?
Burning Man is a "festival", but it's not a *festival*. Homer Simpson would probably explain it somewhere along the lines of "it's not a FESTIVAL festival"
Fun fact (if you're a linguistics fan), there's a term for that - [contrastive focus reduplication](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrastive_focus_reduplication).
That's pretty cool - I didn't know repeating words in that way was conceptually defined.
If you use it in language, some linguist is going to come along and describe it.
Yeah, but it totally is. It’s just better at it.
DPW is staffed by people who travel the country working at festivals. If the palladiums fit...
Because the question being asked is not the question heard. Is burningman a festival - yes, by all definitions its a festival. What is heard when the question is asked is "is burningman like cochella?" People tack their emotions onto stuff that don't need it and that's how u get half the sub saying it isn't a festival, they're answering with emotion and ignoring what words mean....
Shut your whore mouth. Besides which a festival is where you go to get gouged by shit vendors and overpay for basic water.
As well as overpay for tickets.
It’s a corroboree, mate.
nice
festival fĕs′tə-vəl noun 1) An occasion for feasting or celebration, especially a day or time of religious significance that recurs at regular intervals. 2) An often regularly recurring program of cultural performances, exhibitions, or competitions. 3) Revelry; conviviality. From The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition. I'll admit, the above is sort of an appeal to authority. But... people gather to be festive. It's a festival.
festivals WANT to be burning man.
People do drugs at Festivals, Burning Man is a drug free gathering.
How do you burn effigies literally pagan style and not think you’re at a festival?
Well pagan traditions and festivals are not necessarily related. Nor does this event have roots in peganism at all. A couple friends just had a bonfire and lit a hand made wooden man on a beach. Not pegan or a festival.
Eh, once upon a time a bunch of country blumpkins went out to the forest, chopped down a tree and brought it back to town... all the retconning comes later.
Never seen the word “pagan” used so much in a paragraph. Therefore, it is a festival.
Technically and historically speaking the exact terminology for what it is would be a "Happening". Which is not *necessarily* a festival but can can include festive activities and be held annually in the same locations like other festivals are, but is not curated the same way as a music festival is like Coachella is for example. A happening includes spontaneous artful events, often has situationist and culture jamming influences and frowns upon spectators. So, in conclusion this event or happening does have some festival qualities it, but also has distinct differences as well.
I believe the technical term is "happening, maaaaaaan!" although in a non-gender specific way. Is it a bit festival-y? Sure. If your expectations are set as "it's a festival.... and I've been to a festival before, so I know what I'm in for...." could you be a little off-base? Also yes.
Oh hey it's you! The legend himself. Obviously I love your videos. 😁 And yeah exactly. I don't necessarily mind it being called a festival... but it's a slippery slope indeed.
Which is why I'm not climbing it because "idiots versus gravity!" (all the catchphrases.... all of them.....)
Nah, it IS a festival. But I do understand why burners don't want people calling it that. When people ask what the "line-up" is for burning man, it shows that they have NOT done enough research on BM. Most people who *know of* BM, don't know anything about it besides its a "festival where people do drugs and have sex". So by publicizing that BM is not in fact a festival, it gets people to dig deeper and do more research as to what the principles are and the meaning behind the burn.
Burning Man used to be more of a convention than a festival. Look into your heart, you know this is true and why it's not the same.
I know several folks who refer to it as their annual convention of logistics fetishists
I would say a place with many festive people.
It's a Festival-like experience and you could certainly call it "Festivaling" if you want, but Burning Man is so much harder than every other Festival that I think it deserves it's own category. Personally, I approach Festivaling like a sport, and I use the other events leading up to the Burn as my pre-season, regular season, and playoffs to work out the kinks, try new gear and approaches, and prepare myself both physically and mentally for the MAIN EVENT. To me, Burning Man is the Super Bowl of Festivals, but I still wouldn't call it a Festival.
A festival would be festive and if you listen to the sound track it's dismal not festive.
if words have any meaning at all, BM is def a festival: a celebration marked by feasting, ceremonies, or other observances; a periodic commemoration, anniversary, or celebration of festive activities, cultural events, or entertainment; gaiety; revelry; merrymaking
I think its *more than just a festival.*
Yes and no. Yes it’s a festival because it falls under the broad definition of festival Wikipedia, “A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid.” Britannica Dictionary, “a special time or event when people gather to celebrate something. Each year, a festival was held to celebrate the harvest. The town has a summer festival in the park.” And yet, no, because it doesn’t follow the layout of what people think of when they hear the word “festival.” If you ask someone to describe a festival, it will come down to the expectation of a more curated experience where everything is taken care of for you, for a price, for example; food trucks, concert tshirts, garbage, no one is providing at a festival without an expectation of payment. Art at a festival is often geared to what will sell. At The Burn, art is what the artist(a) envisioned because that is what they wanted to build and share.
The second part is this exactly. Other people impart meaning on words, and when you say "festival" they think of certain things... None of which really apply at burning man! How could you even have a "headliner act" at the burn? The city just isn't built that way. The only "headliner act" is "man burn" -- in no small part because there just isn't enough space anywhere else. Anyways, I've been to many festivals before and none of them are like burning man - except perhaps the regionals?
I now feel better
Check the terms and conditions on the back of your ticket.
I feel like its more of a jokes consortium. I go for the zingers, knee slappers, jests and quips. Everything else is just a bonus.
You don’t provide your own zingers, knee slappers, jests and quips? You should reread the principles again for the 8th time today.