Sonderausstellung im Handwerkermuseum: Feste Feiern in der Börde Sittensen

In rural areas—and thus also in the Sittensen Börde—work and celebration have traditionally gone hand in hand.
Festivals shape the course of the year just as much as they do the course of one’s own life. They provide meaning and structure. Village festivals, in particular, are more than just a simple gathering. Here, connections are made, traditions and customs are preserved, and passed on to future generations.
The origins of our festivals date back to ancient times. Even the Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians celebrated important cultural events with festivities that were sometimes extravagant. It was not uncommon for them to follow fixed sequences and recurring rites. This is still reflected today in our village festival culture.
In addition to ancient traditions, many typical village festivals are rooted in seasonal events and religious customs. Above all, festivals in the liturgical year—such as Christmas, Easter, and the harvest festival—are celebrated by the general public. Moreover, they continue to provide structure to the year to this day.
Celebrating festivals plays an especially important role in rural areas. They break up the daily routine and foster a sense of community, identity, and home.
The special exhibition “Celebrating Festivals” takes a look at traditions and festivals typical of the Sittensen Börde—from the grand harvest festival to private celebrations in small groups.
The places where people gather to celebrate play a major role here. Especially in rural areas, these venues have changed significantly over the past few decades. While celebrations on the farm were once typical, the many restaurants in the Börde later became the places where people held their celebrations. Today, many of these restaurants have disappeared, and new venues for celebration have taken their place.
In addition, the exhibition examines which occasions are celebrated in Sittensen and the surrounding villages. Here, it distinguishes between two types of celebrations. On the one hand, there are public celebrations and events that are observed collectively, such as discos, harvest festivals, or town anniversaries. On the other hand, there are celebrations that are now more private in nature, such as birthdays, baptisms, confirmations, and weddings.
It also gives a voice to people from the Sittensen Börde region, who offer insight into their very personal ways of celebrating.    
The exhibition thus sheds light on a part of the everyday and festive culture in the Börde Sittensen region. What defines the way people celebrate here—then and now?