Annual Ceremony Research Articles

Exchanging “Mementos of Death”: Holocaust Remains in Poland and Japan

Abstract In 1962, a Japanese delegation of peace activists visited Auschwitz-Birkenau where they participated in the annual ceremony commemorating the liberation of the camp. As part of the ceremony, the delegation engaged in an exchange of Hiroshima and Auschwitz “memontos,” receiving from the Polish side, amongst others, an urn containing ashes of the victims of the camp. The exchange was the first of several that included Holocaust urns, most of which are now in Japan, and a part of a much broader phenomenon of material dispersal of human remains instituted by Polish museums established at the former Nazi camps. In this paper, we take a critical look at this practice, its development, directionalities and meanings. Tracing the journey of the urns and their various uses, we argue, reveals the complex politics and cultural landscape of the transnational commemoration of World War II in its very local meanings in Poland, Japan and beyond.

Politics of Secularism in Ethiopia: Repression or Co-option towards the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church?

Secularism in Ethiopia has not been practiced as stipulated in the 1995 Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE): separation of state and religion. Instead, consecutive regimes, since the introduction of secularism, have employed a tactic of co-option and repression towards the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church (EOTC) to meet their political objectives. This research article addresses the nature and manifestation of government intervention in the EOTC through either co-option and/or repression, with a special emphasis on the post-2018 regime. The study argues de-facto secularism in Ethiopia is far from the essence of separation of state and religion; it is a new version of religion industriously implemented by governments to upgrade the Orthodox Church in a way that fits with the political system. The secular regimes co-opted and repressed the church conditionally at any cost to the institution through a Machiavellian approach. The study also finds that the prosperity-led regime was actively involved in the internal affairs of the church in the early days through co-option in the name of reconciliation with the exile synod. In the later days, via repression, massive killings of orthodox followers, burning of churches, and restrictions on the church's annual ceremony, as in the case of Epiphany and Meskel (Demera), the regime oppressed the church.

The Politics of Secularism in Ethiopia: Repression and/or Co-option towards EOTC

Secularism in Ethiopia has not been practiced as stipulated in the 1995 Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) constitution, separation of state and religion. Instead consecutive regimes since the introduction of secularism employed a tactic of co-option and repression towards the Ethiopia Orthodox Tewahido Church (EOTC) to meet their political objectives. This paper thus tried to address the nature and manifestation of government intervention in the EOTC through either cooption and/or repression with a special emphasis on the post 2018 regime. The study argues de-facto secularism in Ethiopia is far from the essence of separation of state and religion; it is a new version of religion industriously implemented by governments to upgrade the Orthodox Church in a way that fits with the political system. The secular regimes co-opted and repressed the church conditionally at any cost of the institution through Machiavellian approach. The study also finds that the Prosperity led regime was actively involved in the internal affairs of the church; in early days through co-option in the name of reconciliation with the exile synod. And in the later days via repression; massive killing of orthodox followers, burning of churches and restriction on church’s annual ceremony the like epiphany are the manifestations.

The Tabot Tradition: Exploring the Spread of Islam and Cultural Interaction in Bengkulu

The Tabot tradition is an important part of the Bengkulu cultural and religious heritage, which shows a close interaction between traditional customs and Islamic beliefs. The study aims to describe the Tabot tradition in Bengkulu and its relationship with the process of Islam’s entry into the country using a literature study approach. This study showed The process of Islamization in Bengkulu involved the economic activities of Muslim traders, intermarriage, Sufi teachings, and the development of the arts. Islam reached Bengkulu in the 15th or 16th century, primarily through contacts with Minangkabau and Palembang. The introduction of Islam to Bengkulu resulted in the formation of small kingdoms and the establishment of Islamic burial sites and manuscripts. The Tabot tradition, an annual ceremony commemorating the death of Imam Husayn, was brought to Bengkulu by Indian Bengalis and later blended with local traditions. This tradition demonstrates the close interaction between traditional customs and the Islamic faith in Bengkulu.

On Being Present to History: Historicity and Brigand Spirits in Madagascar

Abstract This article explores the unexpected arrival of new spirits in possession of young spirit mediums at an annual ceremony in Majunga, Madagascar. In it, the author explores the significance of the event for local politics, but also uses it to exemplify a form of historicity distinct from that of Euro-American historicism, with respect to both the structure of historical temporality and the nature of historical truth/knowledge, experience, responsiveness, and action. The article further argues that the action of the spirits or mediums is simultaneously an interpretation of circumstances and that one might think more broadly of historical action as interpretive.

Representation of a prominent public figure of Yuriy Fedkovych in Chernivtsi’s cultural memory narrative

The body of the article goes on to discuss the problem of a new portrayal and interpretation of a significant impact of the Ukrainian outstanding writer and a public figure Yuriy Fedkovych on the cultural memory of the capital of Bukovyna – Chernivtsi.Since memory policy has become a crucial construct of social practices, the author’s focus revolves around a variety of theoretical perspectives of memory studies and explores the domain of honouring an outstanding public figure. Through the prism of memory studies, the author puts an emphasis on various commemorative practices such as erecting monuments, establishing museums, celebrating anniversaries, arranging mass events, naming cultural, artistic and educational institutions, renaming streets, creating new traditions, etc.Together these studies provide important insights into Yuriy Fedkovych’s invaluable contribution as its editor into the socially and politically integrated contents of the first Ukrainian newspaper «Bukovyna». Being a forerunner of the Ukrainian national revival, Yuriy Fedkovych was deeply concerned with the sufferings and needs of the ordinary peasants of Bukovyna and made his best of involving them in cultivating their national awareness and identity.Noteworthy, the «Bukovynian nightingale’s» literary, political and social legacy earned him deep respect not only among the progressive intelligentsia of Ukraine in late 19th and early 20th centuries, but also our contemporaries’ aspirations to practise societal memories and engrave Yuriy Fedkovych on the individual and collective memory of both Bukovyna and Chernivtsi.The author boils down that the above-said is exemplified, at the city level, in the following commemorative practices: a) caring for a historical graveyard of Yuriy Fedkovych, located in the «Historical and Cultural Reserve “Cemetery in Zelena St.”»; b) arranging and renewing various events and festivities of the cycle of excursions in Yuriy Fedkovych Literary Memorial Museum; c) holding scientific conferences and annual presenting of each of the volumes of the modern five-volume edition of the writer’s works; d) honouring the outstanding public figure’s legacy, in April 1989 Chernivtsi University, one of the oldest classical universities in Ukraine, was named after Yuriy Fedkovych, to commemorate the «Bukovynian Nightingale» among youth and students; e) awarding the best educators of the city with the highest educational prize of the Chernivtsi City Council – Yuriy Fedkovych Award that was established in 1994; f) a solemn meeting of intelligentsia, academia, students and schoolchildren to traditionally award the winners of the Yuriy Fedkovych Literary and Art Prize. The venue of an annual ceremony is the city downtown space near the monument to Yuriy Fedkovych (made of bronze, the sculptor V. Hamal). It should be articulated that this cultural memory space has been conveying a powerful message and bearing strong Ukrainian national energy.

Review: Civil Religion Today: Religion and the American Nation in Twenty-First Century, edited by Rhys H. Williams, Raymond Haberski Jr., and Philip Goff

Review: <i>Civil Religion Today: Religion and the American Nation in Twenty-First Century</i>, edited by Rhys H. Williams, Raymond Haberski Jr., and Philip Goff

Usaba Sumbu from Karangasem: A Tradition with A Thousand Pork Offering

In historical records, Babad Dalem, there is a record about Usaba Sumbu, A celebration that represents the people's gratitude for the prosperity and resilience of the Gelgel Kingdom. As part of King Dalem Waturenggong’s territory, Bungaya traditional village, which today becomes part of Karangasem regency, has carried out Usaba Sumbu activities since the 16th century, even some claimed it had been performed since the 11th century. The whole series of rituals and ceremonies on Usaba Sumbu is viewed as offerings to ask for Amertha, the elixir of life. It is expected that the lord will bless the residents of the indigenous Village prosperous and welfare life. The tradition sparks a sense of togetherness and increases tolerance and cooperation among the people since the entire village community attends the annual ceremony. It encompasses cultural values, brotherhood, and economic values. The tradition lives as a cultural identity of the traditional village community in Karangasem and represents the people’s values. For instance, the value of brotherhood can be seen when the villager shares their roasted pork with others who could not afford the meat on occasion due to economic conditions or else. The high demand for porks, chickens or other livestock when preparing the ceremony allows local businesses to flourish. It indeed indirectly improves the local economy.

The social history of a medieval fish weir, c. 600–2020

ABSTRACT This article presents the longue durée social history of a medieval fish weir. It reveals the significant role of fishing and fish weirs in the construction and reconstruction of social structures and cultural identities. It focuses on an enigmatic annual ceremony – the construction of the Horngarth or Penny Hedge at Whitby, North Yorkshire. The article begins by arguing that the ceremony descends from the construction of a medieval intertidal fish weir, before exploring the possible social and cultural contexts in which the fish weir originated and the social and cultural circumstances that perpetuated its construction to the sixteenth century. It proceeds to consider the social and cultural changes that undermined its original function and transformed its significance in the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and how a tradition invented about it became important to the local identity and national reputation of the town.

The Covenant Renewal Ceremony as the Main Function of Qumran

Unlike any other group or philosophy in ancient Judaism, the yaḥad sect obliged all members of the sect to leave their places of residence all over the country and gather in the sect’s central site to participate in a special annual ceremony of renewal of the covenant between God and each of the members. The increase of the communities that composed the sect and their spread over the entire country during the first century BCE required the development of the appropriate infrastructure for hosting this annual gathering at Qumran. Consequently, the hosting of the gathering became the main function of the site, and the southern esplanade with the buildings surrounding it became the epicenter of the site.

Research on the Application of Blockchain Technology in the Field of Corporate Governance

The Annual General Meeting of Shareholders is considered to be a boring and mandatory annual ceremony. At present, its information, forum, decision-making functions, and voting procedures are all flawed. As a new technology, the introduction of blockchain can greatly reduce the cost of shareholder voting and company organization costs, improve the company’s decision-making efficiency and the transparency of voting and elections, and effectively solve the problems existing in the current annual general meeting of shareholders. The research in this paper provides an intelligent solution for the traditional inefficiency of corporate governance.

The Distinguished Teaching Society at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine: A Student-Led Initiative to Recognize Clinical Educators.

Some focus on recognizing excellence in clinical teaching has been lost with the increasing emphasis placed on clinical efficiency and value. Clinical teaching awards and academies of educators aim to address this problem. In 2015, medical student leaders at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine created the Distinguished Teaching Society (DTS), a student-driven program to recognize the best clinical educators. Medical students designed a comprehensive scoring rubric focusing on 3 domains: feedback and evaluation, role model behavior, and teaching process. A student committee solicits student nominations providing narratives endorsing faculty or house staff for potential inclusion in the DTS. Using the rubric, student judges score each deidentified narrative nomination, as well as an application from finalists and comments about finalists submitted by the student body. Inductees are recognized at an annual ceremony. From academic years 2015-2016 to 2018-2019, students nominated 254 unique candidates, and 82 nominees (32%) were inducted into the DTS. The majority of inductees were faculty and male. In 2017-2018 and 2018-2019, nearly half of inductees were female, and less than 10% of inductees self-reported as underrepresented in medicine and/or LGBTQ+. The Department of Internal Medicine had the greatest departmental representation. There were no statistically significant differences in the proportional representation within the nomination and inductee cohorts by gender, rank, and department. Several process changes were made in response to student feedback and to increase nominee and inductee diversity. Next steps include adding a diversity and inclusion chair to the student committee and collecting survey data on student and DTS inductee opinions on how to improve learner-teacher engagement and the clinical learning environment. Future activities may include educational workshops, panel discussions, mentorship programs, and networking events. Other medical schools may find value in considering similar structures.

Governing the Ungovernable: Performing and Contesting Chris Hani’s Legacy at the Hani Memorial

This article focuses on the Hani Memorial, an annual state-led ceremony held in Ekurhuleni on the anniversary of Chris Hani’s assassination. By analysing the memorialisation, appropriation and performance of Hani’s legacy at this site, it seeks to contribute to debates surrounding the production of liberation struggle historiography in southern Africa, to expand upon Richard Werbner’s ‘post-colonial memorial complex’, and to probe how, through these practices, the Tripartite Alliance has attempted to consolidate political power in post-apartheid South Africa. It takes its cue, though, from Jenny Edkins’ notions of ‘state time’ and ‘trauma time’, which I read as representative of, or analogous to, different modes of organising or disrupting the ways in which people experience time and therefore make sense of the world. According to Edkins, the time of the state is that of ‘linear, procedural time of process and organisation, history, heroes and nations’, whereas trauma time is representative of a ‘collective scream’, ‘a protest against the way people have been treated, a demand to hold open the temporality of trauma and a demand for a different politics’. This article argues that remembering Hani extends far beyond the temporality of the state, its tangible monuments to the past, and its forms of governmentality. In other words, Hani’s legacy cannot be contained or governed by the discursive frames, monumental projects, and temporality of the state, which ultimately seek closure and the end of a politics that has the state as its target. Furthermore, the very performative and operative character of memorials themselves makes them particularly vulnerable to alternative memorialisation and invocations of the past. In short, although national memorials are conventionally understood as sites of state power, authority, governmentality, and historical certainty, they are more generatively understood as sites of temporal rupture through which the ‘time of the state’ is exposed and challenged.

Maskanda, Umkhosi wokukhahlela and the Articulation of Identity in South Africa

AbstractUmkhosi wokukhahlela is an annual ceremony in the KwaBhaca Great Kingdom (Eastern Cape, South Africa) that celebrates virginity among young women and girls. Not regularly practiced for decades, it has recently made a comeback, having been strategically adopted by King Madzikane II as a tool of empowerment in the fight against the HIV pandemic, the rise in teen pregnancies, rape and school dropouts, as well as the abuse of women in general. This article investigates the return of Umkhosi wokukhahlela through Antonio Gramsci’s notion of ‘articulation’. As we shall see, the ritual is a particularly engaging and thoroughgoing example of how local communities intertwine the past with the present to reshape their own identity, borrowing from tradition to articulate specific life lessons germane to the present – and future – of the Bhaca people.

Rituele dynamiek en rivaliteit: Kristallnachtherdenkingen in Amsterdam (1992-2019)

Two different Kristallnacht commemorations are presently held in Amsterdam each year, in close proximity to one another and on the same day but organised by different groups. What is the reason for this? Why do people who wish to commemorate the terrible events of Kristallnacht not hold a joint annual remembrance ceremony? Does this division coincide with the boundaries between Jewish and Muslim communities? After introducing the theme, presenting the theoretical approach and describing the history of Kristallnacht commemoration in Amsterdam, this article analyses the growing discord between the two organizing groups. It relates this development to different goals, views and interests of these groups, their shifting societal positions, and to developments in the national and international context. We argue that the increasing discord does not stem so much from differences of religious ideas between the Jewish and Muslim communities, but rather from political differences of opinion that draw dividing lines within communities.

The Rekom Shrine in North Ossetia-Alania and its Annual Ceremony

The Rekom Shrine located in the Tsey Valley of North Ossetia-Alania is one of the most important sites in the Ossetian popular religion, which in modern times is often referred to as the Uatsdin. The shrine is dedicated to Uastyrdzhi, an Ossetian cultic figure associated with the Christian St. George. Rekom is the site of a major festival held in mid-June, called Rekomy Bærægbon (Рекомы бæрæгбон), where certain aspects of the ritual may date back to Scythian times. These and similar ceremonies throughout North and South Ossetia are best understood as expressions of national identity and community solidarity.

Remaking Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Local Commemorations of Atomic Bombings in the United States

ABSTRACT In the United States, the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are often considered necessary to have ended its war against Japan. On the other hand, there are also American people who commemorate the victims of the atomic bombings. This article examines how and why people in the United States commemorate the A-bomb victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After explaining the official US narratives, this article explores as case studies three local commemorations in the United States: the vigil for Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Ashland, Oregon; the annual interfaith ceremony for A-bomb victims in New York City; and the lantern ceremony in the San Francisco Bay Area. While they are different in many ways, they share a common feature: “localization” of the Hiroshima-Nagasaki experience to disseminate it in the United States. Through looking into the local commemorative events, this article elucidates their efforts and the dilemma of making the Hiroshima-Nagasaki experience of suffering more familiar to people in the United States.

PREFERENSI WISATAWAN CINA TERHADAP CULTURAL TOURISM DI BALI

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; This research discuss, Chinese tourist preferences on cultural tourism product in Bali, and its characteristics. The aim of this research is to identify the characteristics and to determine how Chinese tourist preference on the cultural tourism product in Bali. The method of data collection utilized observation, questionnaire, literature study, and documentation. The result shows that the characteristic of the Chinese tourist in Bali from point of view tourists descriptor are dominated by Chinese tourist whose age are 25-44 years and their job as private employees who have married. Based on trip-descriptor are dominated by the purpose of their traveling to Bali are the holiday. Most of them got information from the internet, and arranged by tour package with the length of stay is 4-7 days in Bali. Preferences of Chinese tourist toward cultural tourism in Bali are in term of historical buildings prefered to Tanah Lot Temple, in term of historical places prefered to Bedugul, in term of traditional dances prefered to Barong Dance, in term of local food prefered to Suckling pig, in term of handicrafts prefered to traditional statues, in term of indigenous village tours prefered to the traditional village of Panglipuran, in term of Subak prefered to the Subak in Tegalalang, in term of cultural festival prefered to the Bali Arts Festival, in term annual ceremony prefered to have tour during on Nyepi day, in term pre-wedding tour prefered to wear traditional Balinese costume, and in term spa product prefered traditional Balinese massage.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

"We Will Show the Country": Bringing History to Life

"We Will Show the Country": Bringing History to Life

The Significance of the Traditional Ceremony Ummemo, among Swazi

The objective of this paper was to define and outline the traditional ceremony called, Ummemo which is practised by most Swazi chieftaincies in South Africa. It is an annual ceremony where each chi...