Abstract
In this article author suggests new possibilities in studying modern festivities based on thorough review of existing literature. His goal is to review and confront three disciplinary discourses that conceptualized social practices related to festive cultures.
First, theories of ritual in social and cultural anthropology are analysed and assessed in relation to modern festivities. Second, the concepts of custom and habit used in the European ethnology, especially Central European tradition of Volkskunde (including Czech národopis), are presented and considered for research of modern festivities.
Third, historical discourse about modern festivities is presented and theoretical challenges related to the historical perspective are introduced. On these grounds author proposes a conceptual framework based on performance studies that both reflects advantages of former three disciplinary discourses and overcomes their disadvantages.
Finally, a set of new and innovative research questions is suggested.