Why gatherings and celebrations are such an important part of summer

Summer brings many traditional events and festivals across the world. In much of England, summer is the theme of several folk celebrations dating back centuries. Far from negative and exclusionary ideas of national identity, the season actually showcases many positives.

Many towns and areas around the UK celebrate the summer, starting in May with “Jack in the Green” – a figure draped in leaves who has been slumbering since the previous year. The event, based on folkloric tales is increasingly important for local businesses to kick off summer trade.

For the past decade, I’ve been researching the significance of festivals for social connection, and for promoting sustainable lifestyle changes. Elsewhere, international research has also demonstrated that multi-day mass gatherings across the year can dramatically change our perspectives of who we are, and where we want our lives to lead.

I have found that mass gatherings can be especially important for those who are marginalised. They can also empower groups seeking social change. In a study that I undertook with colleagues, vegans who attended the Vegan Camp Out festival in Nottinghamshire reported feeling more connected to their vegan identity, and more willing to maintain their vegan activism after attending.

Events and mass-gatherings like this across the world can encourage people to pause and reconsider their idea of themselves and their place in the world.

The role of folklore

I am currently involved in a two-year project exploring the role that folklore plays in social and environmental connection in the south of England.

I’m working with filmmaker Rosie Robinson to explore how new iterations of old traditions (often known as “neo-folklore”) can help people reconnect to each other, British culture and the natural environment.

It can be too easy for conversations about identity to centre around discrimination and exclusion. Rosie’s film Merrie England highlights the current and historic tensions around ritual celebrations and traditions in English communities.

Throughout history, those with power have often had a vested interest in deciding who gets to claim these national identities and rituals for themselves, and who is excluded from celebrations. The film showcases the history of morris dancing in the UK using archive footage.

It details outrage directed at suffragette Mary Neal, whose aim was to popularise morris dancing for slum girls and working women in the 1910s and 1920s. While prominent figures in the folk revival sought to maintain morris dancing as an exclusive art form to be taken seriously by a select group, Neal saw it as part of living and breathing culture that should be accessible to all.

But this gatekeeping doesn’t match with what we see from communities in our ongoing research. In our work on local community folklore festivals, we saw community connection, meaningful rituals and celebration. We saw pubs overflowing, dancing in the streets, children listening to stories and people from all walks of life gathering to celebrate.

Community events happening over the summer festival season are an important way for neighbours and communities to connect. Free events help to build tourist interest in lesser-known communities, and are accessible forms of entertainment to those who can’t afford more expensive events.

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These local traditions also help to develop new rituals around special events. The solar eclipse across Europe saw people sharing pinhole cameras, glasses and colanders. Seeing how others experience the world and celebrate can bring joy. And mass gatherings can even be the source of new cultural links, as seen in the connection formed between the Scotland team’s “Tartan Army” of supporters and residents of Boston.

Despite this, it’s often the case that bad news stories dominate the headlines. Research shows that “moral outrage” drives engagement with traditional and social media. In other words, people are more likely to engage with and share content that discusses harms. But for every negative viral headline, there are more feelgood stories about generous communities. These aren’t always shared in the same way, because they don’t draw the same attention.

That’s why my colleagues and I are researching these stories of community and connection. We want to share these stories and help people connect or reconnect with their communities, natural environment and local heritage.

Throughout summer, it’s worth remembering that cultural celebrations do not have to be exclusionary. They can be about morris dancing, processions, holding up colanders to look at the sun and even football chants. The season shows that national and cultural identities are important sources of celebration, silliness and connection – truly needed in this increasingly divided era.