In a landmark study published this year, researchers have turned their critical gaze toward a phenomenon that, until recently, might have been taken for granted—the sudden, enforced absence of longstanding urban rituals and festivities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The investigation, focusing on the cities of Geneva, Turin, and Zurich, offers a deeply analytical exploration of how the abrupt cancellations of public celebrations during lockdowns disrupted not only social calendars but the very cultural fabric that these rituals sustain. This research illuminates the intricate relationship between communal gatherings, urban identity, and societal cohesion, underscoring the profound void left when such interactions vanish.
Festivities in urban spaces have historically served as vital mechanisms for cultural expression, social bonding, and intergenerational transmission of values. However, the COVID-19 pandemic’s global reach compelled governments worldwide to impose social distancing measures that effectively dismantled these traditional social functions. The cities of Geneva, Turin, and Zurich, all renowned for their vibrant urban festivities, provided a unique comparative canvas for examining the implications of these abrupt cultural silences. The study explores how these diverse urban contexts responded to the cessation and what that reveals about the modern urban ritual’s resilience and relevance.
From a technical perspective, the researchers employed a multidisciplinary ethnological methodology, combining qualitative interviews, participant observation (conducted via digital platforms given the lockdown constraints), and an exhaustive review of municipal culture policies during the public health crisis. By anchoring their inquiry in both anthropological theory and urban studies, they provide an expansive framework to understand the multifaceted impact of ritual absences. This enriched analytical lens allows for deep insight into how the loss of these social events disturbed the urban population’s collective psyche and altered spatial dynamics within public spheres.
One of the study’s most striking findings pertains to the psychological and social consequences of ritual cancellations for city residents. The absence of these events, often considered marginal or merely celebratory, emerged as a significant contributor to feelings of disorientation, social fragmentation, and a sense of cultural bereavement. These insights illuminate the intangible yet vital role such rituals play in reinforcing a city’s emotional and social contours. The removal of periodic public festivities disrupted habitual rhythms and traditions, exposing their centrality in shaping urban life and identity.
Moreover, the research underscores how digital innovation attempted to fill the void left by physical events. Virtual celebrations, livestreamed parades, and social media campaigns surged as creative responses attempting to sustain communal participation. Yet, the study critically evaluates these digital substitutes, arguing that while technological adaptations provided temporary relief, they lacked the multisensorial richness and embodied social connectivity inherent in live celebrations. This distinction emphasizes the irreplaceable value of physical co-presence in ritual experience.
The comparative approach taken is particularly revealing with respect to the varied urban planning and governance strategies observed across Geneva, Turin, and Zurich. Each city’s historical relationship with festivities shaped its crisis response, cultural policy adaptations, and public engagement during the lockdowns. The authors meticulously draw out how local governance and civic organizations mobilized to preserve cultural continuity, highlighting both successes and shortcomings. This granular detail provides a nuanced understanding of the interplay between administrative decision-making and grassroots cultural resilience.
In Geneva, for instance, the swift municipal action to suspend traditional carnivals revealed broader tensions between public health imperatives and cultural preservation dilemmas. The city’s administrative bodies grappled with setting new precedents for civic participation via virtual forums, which were met with mixed acceptance. In contrast, Turin’s deep-rooted festival traditions were impaired more severely, revealing vulnerabilities in the urban cultural architecture when subjected to such unprecedented interruption. Zurich, meanwhile, demonstrated adaptive capacities, leveraging a combination of public-private partnerships to sustain some elements of community engagement despite physical restrictions.
From an anthropological standpoint, the research contributes significantly to the theory of ritual as a dynamic, socially embedded practice. The authors argue that rituals are not static artifacts but living processes that require ongoing communal enactment to maintain their meaning and function. By highlighting the ‘momentary lack’ of these practices during the pandemic, the study brings fresh urgency to understanding how urban populations negotiate cultural continuity amid disruption. This points toward broader questions about the future of collective experiences in hypermodern, risk-sensitive societies.
The study also probes into the socio-economic implications linked with ritual cancellations. Urban festivities collectively generate significant economic activity, supporting hospitality industries, artisans, performers, and local entrepreneurs. The sudden halt had a ripple effect on employment, cultural funding, and local economies dependent on event tourism. These dimensions underscore the economic vulnerability concealed within the cultural sector and frame festivities as critical components of urban sustainability strategies beyond mere entertainment.
Importantly, Cattacin, Gamba, and Alzola articulate how the ritual deficits accentuated inequalities in urban cultural participation. Marginalized populations, often reliant on public festivities for social integration and visibility, faced exacerbated exclusion. The absence of physical spaces for communal gathering revealed structural disparities, challenging cities to rethink inclusive cultural policies that can withstand crises without deepening social divides. This finding situates urban rituals within broader debates on equity, access, and urban justice.
On a temporal scale, the research elucidates the ritual suspension as not merely a hiatus but a transformative moment. It stimulated critical reflection on rituals’ evolving meanings in contemporary urban life, catalyzing dialogues about innovation, adaptation, and cultural preservation. The pandemic lockdowns, while devastating, offered a unique vantage point to rethink how cities can nurture ritualistic functions amidst increasing global uncertainty and public health challenges.
Additionally, the study’s findings resonate beyond European urban contexts, offering comparative insights applicable to global metropolises grappling with similar challenges. As urban planners and cultural policymakers increasingly confront pandemic repercussions, the study’s evidence-based approach serves as a valuable resource for designing resilient urban rituals. It foregrounds the balance between heritage and innovation, physical and digital realms, and local specificity versus universal human needs for social rituals.
Technically, the research employs rigorous triangulation of data sources, enhancing its reliability and validity. By combining policy documents, media discourse analysis, and ethnographic components, it constructs a multi-layered narrative that captures the complex social textures affected by the lockdowns. This robust methodology is a blueprint for future studies addressing urban culture in crisis contexts, affirming the necessity of interdisciplinary perspectives.
Ultimately, the research calls for renewed attention to the integral role of rituals in urban wellbeing and social sustainability. It advocates for embedding ritualistic considerations more centrally into urban policy frameworks, especially in preparedness strategies for crisis conditions. This forward-looking perspective champions ritual as a vital urban resource that nurtures social cohesion, cultural identity, and collective resilience.
In closing, this profound examination of a ‘momentary lack of rituals’ projects urban festivities as more than ephemeral entertainments—they are pillars of communal life and identity. The enforced cancellations in Geneva, Turin, and Zurich during the COVID-19 lockdowns unveiled both vulnerabilities and adaptive potentials within the cultural infrastructures of cities. This seminal contribution not only documents a unique historical moment but also ignites a broader discourse on the future of urban cultural life in an increasingly uncertain world.
Subject of Research: The socio-cultural and urban anthropological impacts of the cancellation of urban festivities and rituals during the COVID-19 lockdowns 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
DOI: 10.1186/s41257-023-00095-y
