Difference Between Festival and Celebration

Festival vs Celebration

Festivals and celebrations are both events and occasions that are marked by joy, mirth, and happiness of people. Usually both events are done in the presence of the public.
“Celebration” is the broad and general term for any merry-making activity. Any celebration can happen as planned or instantaneously. Factors like time and activity fall under the terms of being planned or not. A celebration can involve a single person, a small group, or a whole community that takes part in it.

Celebrations usually happen with a purpose or a reason. These reasons or purposes can be personal or public or as a result of good fortune, accomplishment, or development. The celebration in itself can be classified also as public or private depending on its purpose.

Celebrations are often named after the purpose it is being held. It can include birthdays, weddings, and other traditional, special events. However, some celebrations can be as non-traditional like a victory or any spontaneous occasion.

In terms of word structure, “celebration” is a noun that is derived from another word, “celebrate.” “Celebrate” has etymological origins from Middle English and from Latin “celebrare.” It has been used since the 15th century.

On the other hand, festivals are a type of celebration done to mark or to commemorate a special or significant occasion. There is an allotted and special day or time for a festival. A festival also occurs at regular intervals, usually repeated annually, as somewhat a part of a practice and a tradition.
Festivals are usually planned in detail often as a series of programs, performances, or activities revolving into a single theme. It involves a large group of people, usually a community, that celebrates its unique and identifying features.

A festival is a combination of many features, a commemoration or observance, merry-making, and entertainment. The practice of holding festivities is believed to be important to the sense of belonging of an individual to the group and the dynamics of the group or community as a whole.
Due to a large number of people participating in festivals, it is always public and open for other people. A festival is a very specific and distinct form of one festival to another. It can be derived from its purpose. Festivals can be held in terms of religious, seasonal, historical, or of cultural importance. They can often be named after a specific theme like a season, things or objects, disciplines, forms or activities.

The word “festival” has many derivations. It is a noun from the Middle English “festive” and Old French. Further etymological roots indicate that the Middle English and Old French word can be traced back to Medieval Latin “festivalis” and Latin “festivus.” It has been used since the 14th century.

Summary:

1.Festivals and celebrations are almost identical in nature since both occasions are characterized by merry-making and a joyous atmosphere.
2.“Celebration” is a broad, descriptive label for any merry-making activity. Festivals fall under this category with specific characteristics.
3.Celebrations can be public or private. It can be celebrated with a range of participants: individuals, small groups, or a community. In contrast, festivals are public celebrations and involve a large number of people.
4.Festivals are planned and detailed in terms of time, day, and even place. They can also revolve around a specific theme which can be religious, historical, seasonal, or cultural in nature. Festivals also have a recurring pattern as almost akin to a practice or tradition.
5.Meanwhile, celebrations can be spontaneous or planned in terms of logistics. Also, sometimes there can be a specific reason like an accomplishment, development, or personal reason to commence a celebration.
6.Both celebration and festival are used as nouns. However, “celebration” is derived from another word “celebrate,” while “festival” is a direct derivation from its etymological origins.

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