Burning Man is more than a festival or party. It is literally a civilization that is created for one week every year. There is a society that shares the same ethical understanding (it is definitely different from what we have) and accepts everyone from all around the world. One of the primary purposes of Burning Man is to create a space where everyone feels safe and welcomed. This understanding comes from their principle that morality is nonjudgmental about personal choices. The Black Rock City is a different universe with a far-away understanding of life and relationships. As Elon Musk said, “If you haven’t been, you just don’t get it” 🙂
What is happening inside?
Rules
Like I said before, Burning Man and the Burners all understand morality and society uniquely. The first thing you should know is to adapt more to the culture inside the 10 rules of Burning Man! Yes, there are 10 rules which all Burners adapt and apply their 1-week lives there. These are communal effort, leave no trace, decommodification, gifting, radical inclusion, civic responsibility, self-reliance, participation, immediacy, and radical self-expression. All these rules are settled for a better environment, social life, and a Burning Man experience.
Of course, these and other rules make the Burning Man experience harder because when it comes to obeying them and applying your week, you start to see the invisible face of the iceberg. Having strict environmental rules also brings a workload. For example, if you shower, that water should not touch the floor, and you must store your dirty water and take it home. There is even a distinction between water types. There are 2 water types according to where they are used. If you use water for laundry or dishwashing, it is called Gray Water, and you are responsible for removing it from the Burning Man area. Also, there is another water type which is called Black Water. Still, you do not have any responsibility because it includes water in the toilets (but it is for the public toilets that are called potty if you do not use them, you have to solve it yourself).
Social media is one of the sensitive topics in Burning Man. Before starting, I want to answer the biggest question in your mind, “nope, you can not use it”. There were years when they allowed the use of social media in the past, but they definitely think social media harms the culture of Burning Man because of the influencers, so now it is forbidden to use. The influencers who come to Burning Man with sponsorship are far from the purposes other Burners have and can not flow with the culture in it.
There is another surprising fact about Burning Man. You have to create your own experience. As an organization, Burning Man nearly gives you nothing. The participants build the whole city on their own. That means all the responsibilities about events, accommodation, food, electricity, and water are all on you. This is why Burning Man requires detailed and long preparations. Be ready to spend your first days in Burning Man to create a living space for yourself.
One misconception about Burning Man is that many things should be legal even if they are not usually outside. Yes, they have different ethical and moral understanding, but it has to obey the rules of the country in which it is located. Burning Man organizes in Nevada, so you must be over 21 to use alcohol, as it is the same in all USA. Plus, everything besides alcohol is also forbidden to use.
Sounds weird, but Burning Man has no age limitations. People can come here with their grandchildren or with a whole family. Of course, the events they organize or attend become different, but like I said earlier, Burning Man is literally for everyone who can adapt to the culture!
Traditions
The events and shows of Burning Man usually are not stable because the participants organize them. Still, some traditions create the Burning Man culture and are organized every year.
1-The Man Burn
The Man Burn is one of the biggest icons of Burning Man. It is happening in Playa. A man statue is burned with the different songs and lightning shows. Due to it being one of the biggest and most popular events in Burning Man, nearly all Burners come to see it. They burn the man statue right before the last day.
2-Lamplighters
Lamplighting is a volunteer activity in Burning Man to light the way to The Man. This tradition started in 1993 with a small group of people, but now more than 1000 people work for it. Every evening of the event, people gather around the way at 5 o’clock to light The Man’s path for other Burners.
3-Temple Burn
There is a place named “Temple” in Burning Man. That place is the spiritual side of Burning Man and has deep meaning for Burners. This place is used for the loved ones people have lost. Usually, they bring something belonging to their lost one or something related to their past bad experiences. Burners tell each other about their memories or feelings there. It is pretty similar to The Man Burn, but the difference is this is not a fun activity. Like The Man Burn, Burners gather around the Temple to burn it, but neither music nor dance exists. This event is organized on the last day of Burning Man.
Theme Camps in Burning Man
As you can understand from the rules of Burning Man, it is a bit hard to survive by yourself. You have to think about myriad things, and that can be challenging in both a mental and financial manner. So Burners created theme camps for communal life and better conditions there.
These theme camps are groups of friends who have been going to Burning Man for years. But related to the Burning Man spirit, they are all open-minded about new people in their camps. But there is a tiny problem with camps: you have to know a person in the camp to attend it. They want to take reference to add new people to their camps because they literally create a family there, so this becomes a sensitive situation.
When you are in a camp, you start to use everything in common. You make and use meals, showers, generators, toilets, and so on in common. Also, every camp has a unique decoration, and all the camp members must contribute. If your camp is in a better situation in a financial manner, you can create an Art Car. Art Car is part of the shows in Burning Man that are integrated with the Burning Man culture.
Also, every theme camp gives something to the Burners as a gift. It depends on individuals’ financial situation, but there is no cheap or expensive gift distinction here. The important thing about gifting is the effort you put into it. If you are in a camp, they usually decide and create these gifts together too.
Lastly, if you do not want to participate in a theme camp or could not find one, of course, you can attend Burning Man solo but remember all the responsibilities you will have to take. If you have a caravan, things will be easier for you. But you can not predict everything you will need in Burning Man and if you think you need something, never be afraid to ask for other camps to help.
Is Burning Man Exactly a Festival? Obviously not…
Burning Man is far away from a festival. It is like an experience or experiment that you attend with 70.000 other people. It is because Burning Man gives you nothing as entertainment. Yes! You are reading right. There are no planned concerts, shows, or events you can attend. All the entertainment activities are made by the participants. It is also related to the gifting culture. Of course, these activities are entirely free, and you can participate in these as an individual or with the camp you are in. No one earns money from these activities.
The significance of each activity depends on the budget of the participants that organized it. Some people can only take the stage and sing a song or make a stand-up show, while others spend hundreds of dollars to create an entertaining show. Everyone creates their own art and entertainment.
These activities are not only limited to Art Cars or shows. The themes of camps and the participants’ clothing are all for the exact purpose of creating a more creative and fun Burning Man experience. Due to 70.000 people and their limitless creativity here, it is easy to say that life never stops in Black Rock City. The important thing is you have to give the effort to create a better Burning Man. If you are good at make-up, simply do the other Burners’ make-up here, and we are sure they will love it.
So, we mentioned that there are hundreds of events thanks to theme camps and other Burners, but how will we be informed about all these events? All camps send Burning Man prior notice of the location and timing of their planned events, and Burning Man collects all the events in a handbook and an app. The app has more information about the event calendar, so it is more logical to download the app before arrival. The app is called “Time to Burn”.
Burning Man is a 1-week activity but is there more?
Actually, there is no more officially. As we mentioned, Burning Man is a one-week experience you can enjoy. But, as you can understand from this blog, Burning Man is an insane experience and makes you forget the real world. So, Burners created a process which is named “decompression”. It is all about getting used to the real world without depression.
I bet you didn’t hear of burner-friendly hotels earlier. Grand Sierra Resort and Sands are the two hotels known for their burner-friendly popularity. Firstly and most importantly, they take the trash you bring from Black Rock City. Due to it also includes water or other organic waste, it is hard to find a place to throw them. The Burners continue to wear their Burning Man clothes here for a few days, and you can still feel the spirit without disconnecting.
Also, the other spot Burners visit after the Burning Man is Tahoe Lake! Tahoe Lake is an amazing place with its nature. Burners come here and rent lake houses with their friends from theme camps or individually. You can also rent a canoe or do other activities here. You will be amazed while walking the breathtaking forest.
