The thesis investigates the similarities and differences in rites of passage between the celebration of Roman saturnalia and contemporary forms of carnivals. The aim of the research is to strengthen the thesis that specific rituals in the practice of these celebrations temporarily disrupt the social order, with this very reversal supporting the existing hierarchy within society. In the first part of the thesis, I describe the field of rituals and ceremonies, with a more detailed focus on rites of passage. Through various concepts of the construct of time, I explored how the reversal of social roles during the festival is temporally conditioned. The second part of the thesis explains the origin, significance and function of carnival. By studying two European carnivals (the Cologne Carnival and Notting Hill Carnival) and Roman saturnalia, I examined their similarities and differences from the perspective of rites of passage and the representation of time. Through a three-stage model of rites of passage, I found that the similarities between the celebrations are most pronounced in the temporarily disrupted social order and the exchange of social roles, which indicates the characteristic feature of carnival ritual inversions that help reduce social pressure and promote a sense of community, thus supporting their role in reinforcing the existing hierarchy in society.
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