Baeguk

[beifengxiaoxiao]

EL PERIODICO SINSU - 版 DE JONGMAL
年5552, 月4, 日7 - 火 MARTENAL

Karnibal a Reminder to the Nation of Draniano Culture's Vibrance and Endurance

Adolfo Kangjon Sosil 尙狼岡田少室  記者, Sinsu - Garish, colorful masks of motley purple, gold, and emerald filled the streets. Bright banners of ticker tape painted like the Obang, the traditional Five Directions, sporadically waved through the crowds as thousands of crucifixes bearing the saints were hauled out by revelers. Brass bands marched with their horns held high, blasting the greatest hits in the Kaldé songbook. As the masses converged at Sinsu's St. Sunwoo's Cathedral, His Holiness the Second Patriarch of the Baegukese Universal Church, Zebastian Huanak Johan, stepped forward to make remarks about today, Martenal Gorodan. Today the entire Baegukese nation was once more reminded of the potency and enduring cultural power of one fifth of her body, the Draniano people. This was Karnibal.

Karnibal (Traditional Draniano: ㅋㅇㄹᄾㆁㅃㅇㄹ) is, of course, the holiday season beginning the eve of Soot Thursday and concluding with a bang on Martenal Gorodan ('Fat Tuesday' in Draniano). While Martenal Gorodan is a state holiday, observance varies wildly across Baeguk. The cities of Taedo and Ilbae practically have no celebrations to speak of. Gongmangdo traditionally had little celebration, but recent years have seen some small if mostly casual events pop up around St. Onan's Cathedral, nominal center of the Baegukese Universal Church (EKP). Seongtaek takes 3 days off and musters an impressive display, with extensive floats, firework displays, and legendary boat races in the waters of Santa Sharika Harbor. However, there is of course no match in the entire nation for the celebrations of my hometown, the city of Sinsu. For the entire week the city grinds to a halt and becomes a non-stop parade. The dancers and floats take over the city as Kaldé swells the streets, the smells of classics like Tteokbokki, Dalgona, and Ghurros waft through the air, and crowds wave high icons of Eliyahu, Fotisia, and manifestations of God the Supreme One, Monas Magnum.

Indeed, Karnibal was practically woven into the cultural fabric of our ethnic community. As a people of faith, the celebration offered a final opportunity to partake in rich foods and extravagant entertainment before beginning the spiritual task of reflection and self-denial during Repentance (also called Lent). Karnibal served first as a way to unite us with Hosians around Terra, and later as a conduit to express our unique identity and anger at Egelian imperialists during the colonial period and as a way to integrate many unique aspects of Peninzulare, Mestizo, and Creole culture that were threatened.

For the rest of the nation - a supermajority of Baeguk is Kyo, and a good ~13% are Penru - the perennial explosion of Karnibal brings significant cultural exposure to the Draniano community. The celebration, particularly in cities like Sinsu and Seongtaek, prominently display our symbols and traditions to the whole world. Processions full of meaning, religious imagery, and the connection to Soot Thursday and Repentance introduce Hosian liturgical elements to participants and spectators who may not otherwise engage with the faith.

For the Draniano Hosian community, this heightened visibility serves as both an invitation and a reminder of the Draniano People's deep-rooted cultural influence and the central role to which the Church has been a guiding force and steady rock in maintaining our proud institutions. Visitors and participants in Karnibal celebrations are often exposed to both the deep cultural and religious significance of the day, even amidst the jubilant chaos of the parades.

With this in mind, let us take pride and honor in being able to participate in this day of jubilation passed down from our ancestors. Karnibal continues to be a beacon of Draniano culture in Baegukese society, and if we keep it it shall be for many years longer.