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Image credit: Daniel Schwen
*** In the interest of providing a broader range of content to Footsteps readers (and grant me time to pack and travel to Puerto Rico!), I will be running guest posts on the next few Wednesdays. Additional posts in the Arizona and In-Town Tourist series will self-publish in my absence, and I look forward to sharing photos/videos from Puerto Rico and the Isle de Vieques upon my return! The first guest post is below:
In the historical understanding of the term, a pilgrimage refers to a physical journey that brings spiritual enrichment and enlightenment to the pilgrim – the name for religious travellers. Historically, pilgrimages were a predominant feature and widely undertaken in all the world’s major religions and involved journeys to sites or areas of historical or particular importance to those religions.
With modern transport, a thriving tourism industry and an increasingly secular culture, the days of the ancient pilgrim wandering the globe on foot are long gone.
But religious pilgrimages are still undertaken. For example, Jews still visit Jerusalem, Muslims flock to Mecca, Buddhists to Tibet, Hindus to Benare and Catholics to various sites such as Chartres in France. But there is also a new, modern pilgrim on the scene. This ‘New Age’ pilgrim is still undertaking journeys that are of special or spiritual significance to them, but they are usually of a secular nature.
What are some popular secular pilgrimages?
Often the sites of focus for modern day pilgrimages are of no specific religious significance and completely non-denominational. Memorials are some of the most popular secular pilgrimage sites, such as:
- Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. This memorial bears the name of all Americans killed in the Vietnam War and is the focus of many Americans in remembering and commemorating the nation’s loss – particularly for family and friends of the lost soldiers. For those interested in paying respect to the lost soldiers from the war in Vietnam, flights from Australia to the USA are available from most state capitals.
- Gallipoli in Turkey for Australians. Australian travelers flock to Anzac Cove in Gallipoli, Turkey, to commemorate the Australian soldiers who lost their life when they came ashore at the wrong part of the coast and were faced with heavy gunfire and steep cliffs. Anzac pilgrims retrace the steps of the fallen through Shrapnel Gully, and experience the steep terrain that that Anzac soldiers battled against in 1915. A trip to Gallipoli, that many time to coincide with the ANZAC day memorial service, is now a ‘must-do’ for the Australian backpacker in Europe as well as many other Aussies. For those with a sense of closeness and affinity with Australia, holidays to Gallipoli to commemorate fallen soldiers fall under the ‘secular pilgrimage’ category.
- Elvis Presley’s home and grave – In an interesting pilgrimage phenomenon Elvis fans and devotees head to his home and grave in Graceland, Memphis in droves – particularly during Elvis Presley Memorial Week in August, to coincide with the anniversary of his death. The candlelight vigils and prayers that are a part of such commemorations are similar to religious homage of traditional pilgrimages – but with decidedly secular roots.
There is a range of other secular pilgrimage sites, such as spectacular geographic phenomena or landscapes that draw travellers and tourists as part of a modern day, ‘new age’ pilgrimage. While the religious basis of these pilgrimages has changed to secular, the significance of place and the journey still remains and these sites – whether through what they, or who they symbolise – still have the ability to draw and attract large numbers of people. Modern day pilgrims have it relatively easy. With cheap international flights, an arduous, difficult journey by foot is no longer a feature!
Where would a modern day pilgrimage take you?
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Tags: Guest Post by Heather Dugan
7 Comments »
Our favorite hikes in southern Utah a couple of summers ago were the wet hikes. Edging carefully up slate waterfalls and through canyon streams, swimming along the way in natural pools… those moist moments elevated extraordinary scenery into extraordinary experiences that grew us in new and delightfully freeing ways. A shameless wordsmith might say that they saturated us with remarkable memories.
