Creating Your Own Culture

Being a reenactor affects more than how you spend your weekend; it means living in a different culture. Not necessarily the obvious culture of dressing in period clothes and talking in period style at events.

It’s creating your own culture in that you take what is meaningful to you in your reenactment life and bring it into your everyday life.

The little things like listening to pirate songs on the way to work instead of the rock station or wearing a leather bracelet with Celtic knots instead of a Pandora, a library full of books about every facet of your time period instead of romance novels(unless of course the romance novel takes place in your timeframe).

It’s a more personalizes spirituality—maybe you wear a St. Brigit’s cross instead of a crucifix. Perhaps you discovered a long forgotten ritual or food that you bring to a current major holiday celebration. Some of you might have even (re)discovered a holiday that you now celebrate.

Pet names sound like they are from an archaic language either because they are or they are named after an ancient land or hero unfamiliar to the modern day person. Being a reenactor means marching to the beat of your own drum—just not a drum machine.