Importance of Festivals to Antarctic Culture

• Main Author: Kringen, Tayele
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Antarctic; Midwinter; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10092/15831

Antarctica is the most remote and desolate continent on earth and those who find themselves there are among the most isolated. Communication with the outside world is more limited than nearly anywhere else and even communication between different bases on Antarctica is sometimes minimal. The importance of Antarctic culture and traditions on morale have been crucially important since the earliest expeditions but this culture is constantly evolving with time as people attempt to make working in this place more enjoyable. Festivals and events have grown in frequency and popularity and provide a greater sense of community and belonging. They act to lift the spirits of everyone involved and make this extremely harsh environment much more hospitable and home-like. Events such as the Midwinter Festival, Icestock, and the 48-hour film festival all successfully bring people out of the isolation of working in Antarctica and are fundamentally necessary to pushing the research communities goals forward on this continent.