Festivals, Identity and Social Stability in Africa: The Example of Calabar Carnival.

Abstract

Festivals are organized periodic celebrations which form the popular culture which encompass the activities and feelings as a result of interaction, across societies of the world. Festivals are signifiers of the cultural identity of spaces within which they occur, thereby becoming tourism events which relate the socio-cultural space of humanity and the contribution of our social identity. This paper explores the role festival tourism plays through identity and exchange of culture, signifying celebrations, promoting community values, ideologies, continuity and social stability. The paper explores identities through examples of performing nationalities and diversity of cultures from Calabar and Lamu carnival of Nigeria. How do festivals contribute to interpreting cultural identity? The paper answers this through discourse of the diverse characteristics of these festivals