The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic profoundly disrupted societal rhythms across the globe, striking at the heart of communal life and shared cultural practices. Among the most visible casualties of this upheaval were urban festivals, traditions, and public rituals that serve as vital pillars for collective identity and social cohesion. A recent study by Cattacin, Gamba, and Alzola meticulously explores this phenomenon, focusing on the cancellation of urban festivities in three European cities—Geneva, Turin, and Zurich—during the lockdown periods of the pandemic. This investigation not only sheds light on how public health imperatives temporarily erased longstanding cultural rituals but also probes the broader implications for urban social life and human experience in times of crisis.
At the onset of COVID-19, governments swiftly implemented lockdown measures to curb viral transmission, enforcing restrictions that limited gatherings and closed public spaces. Urban festivals, typically characterized by their mass participation and physical proximity, presented a particular challenge. The study illuminates how decision-makers in Geneva, Turin, and Zurich prioritized public safety over cultural continuity, resulting in widespread cancellations or postponements of traditional celebratory events. These urban rituals—deeply embedded in local history and identity—were suddenly absent from the cityscapes, creating a symbolic void felt by communities.
The researchers used a comparative approach, analyzing the official lockdown policies, public communications, and local media narratives surrounding the cancellation of festivities in the three cities. This method underscored both commonalities and divergences in how urban authorities navigated the tension between safeguarding health and preserving cultural heritage. For instance, while all cities enforced strict bans on large public events, the timing and communication strategies varied, affecting public reception and compliance differently. These nuances reveal the complex interplay between governance, societal values, and cultural resilience amid a public health crisis.
One critical technical aspect highlighted is the role of public rituals as more than mere entertainment; they function as essential mechanisms for social bonding and urban vitality. Festivals enable the reinforcement of collective memory and identity through performative practices attached to specific locales. Their sudden absence disrupted these symbolic frameworks, leading to what the authors call a “momentary lack of rituals.” Such an interruption has psychological and sociocultural consequences, potentially diminishing citizens’ sense of belonging and communal solidarity during already uncertain times.
Beyond the immediate health rationale, the researchers emphasize that the cancellation of festivities also revealed the fragile infrastructure supporting cultural events. Organizing urban festivals requires collaboration across governmental bodies, cultural institutions, and local communities. The pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in these networks, particularly the dependence on in-person interaction and physical presence. Consequently, event organizers faced unprecedented challenges in adapting or innovating alternative modes of celebration, such as virtual festivals or decentralized gatherings, which often failed to replicate the embodied experience of traditional festivities.
The impact on the urban social fabric went beyond the festival scene, as shared rituals often function as temporal markers structuring the yearly calendar of communal life. Their absence left a temporal void and a sense of liminality, where traditional rhythms were suspended, contributing to a collective experience of temporal disorientation. This phenomenon resonates with anthropological theories on ritual as time-making practices, emphasizing how festivals anchor communities in a lived sense of past, present, and future continuity.
In dissecting the three case study cities, the authors reveal how Geneva, Turin, and Zurich each balanced the health imperatives and cultural demands uniquely. Geneva showed heightened caution with prolonged cancellations and stringent messaging, which, while effective in minimizing contagion, led to public expressions of cultural loss and frustration. Turin, by contrast, attempted to pivot towards hybrid models involving smaller, staged events with limited attendance, reflecting a nuanced strategy that sought to salvage aspects of tradition. Zurich negotiated a middle ground, promoting localized neighborhood initiatives to keep festive spirits alive without large-scale gatherings.
An important dimension of the study is the exploration of public sentiment and media discourse surrounding these cancellations. The authors document how local news outlets and social media channels became forums for expressing grief, nostalgia, and calls for cultural preservation. This mediatic space functioned as an alternative arena where communal identity was renegotiated and maintained despite physical separations. Importantly, these dialogues also revealed generational and demographic differences in perceptions of ritual significance, with older populations often articulating deeper attachments to traditional festivities.
The researchers also draw attention to the pandemic’s amplification of pre-existing social inequalities in cultural participation. Urban festivals, while communal, do not engage all city residents equally. Marginalized groups—whether due to socioeconomic status, ethnicity, or age—are often underrepresented in ritual participation. The abrupt cancellations, therefore, had differentiated impacts, sometimes depriving already isolated communities of crucial social integration opportunities. This observation invites consideration of how urban cultural policies might be reoriented post-pandemic to foster more inclusive rituals.
From a methodological standpoint, the study integrates qualitative content analysis with ethnographic insights, offering a robust framework for understanding the multifaceted consequences of the lockdown on urban cultural life. The authors engaged in interviews with stakeholders including city officials, event organizers, and community leaders, complementing document analysis and media review. This triangulation strengthens the validity of their findings and provides a textured portrait of how rituals operate as living social phenomena vulnerable to external shocks like health emergencies.
The findings make a compelling case for recognizing rituals not as static relics but as dynamic processes that underpin the social vitality of cities. The cancellations during COVID-19 represent more than a temporary disruption; they highlight how fragile the cultural bedrock of urban communities can be when faced with unprecedented crises. Moreover, the study underscores the importance of contingency planning in cultural policy, suggesting that cities should develop adaptive strategies to preserve ritual life under future disruptive circumstances.
In envisioning pathways forward, the authors caution against simplistic technological fixes such as the wholesale digitalization of festivals. While virtual platforms provided stopgap solutions, they often fell short of capturing the embodied, multisensory, and spontaneous elements inherent in communal rituals. The study advocates for innovative hybrid models that combine physical safety considerations with opportunities for meaningful social interaction, potentially revitalizing urban festivities with renewed social relevance.
Furthermore, the research invites broader reflection on how crises reshape collective identities and cultural memory. The “momentary lack of rituals” might paradoxically catalyze new forms of communal expression emerging from shared experiences of loss and adaptation. This perspective aligns with anthropological insights into ritual creativity in times of social flux, suggesting that the pandemic could serve as a crucible for cultural transformation rather than mere rupture.
The case studies of Geneva, Turin, and Zurich also provide a valuable comparative lens highlighting the role of local context in shaping cultural resilience. Differences in political culture, governance structures, and historical traditions influenced how each city managed ritual continuity or interruption. This finding points to the necessity of tailoring cultural interventions to specific urban ecologies rather than applying universal prescriptions.
In conclusion, the study by Cattacin, Gamba, and Alzola contributes significant empirical and theoretical insights into the intersection of public health, urban culture, and social ritual. By documenting how the cancellation of urban festivities during the COVID-19 lockdowns disrupted communal rhythms and social bonds in Geneva, Turin, and Zurich, the research illuminates the protective yet vulnerable nature of ritual life. As cities worldwide anticipate future challenges, this work underscores the imperative to integrate cultural resilience into public policy, safeguarding the rituals that knit communities together in times of continuity and crisis alike.
Subject of Research: Impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on urban festivities and communal rituals in Geneva, Turin, and Zurich.
Article Title: A momentary lack of rituals: urban festivities cancelations in Geneva, Turin, and Zurich during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Article References:
Cattacin, S., Gamba, F. & Alzola, N.V. A momentary lack of rituals: urban festivities cancelations in Geneva, Turin, and Zurich during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Int. j. anthropol. ethnol. 7, 16 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41257-023-00095-y
Image Credits: AI Generated
