孔子與子貢論蜡祭時「一國之人皆若狂」的狂歡現象，提出了「一張一弛」的原則， 用以解說日常生活的緊張，需要在歲時節慶鬆弛，這就是「常與非常」的原理。以之觀 察台灣東港的迎王祭典，就可發現在祭典期間，充滿非日常生活的祭儀與藝陣遊行：祭 儀中的祀王、宴王，在地方頭人舉行禮儀時，爲嚴肅的儀式性表演；王醮時道士進行祈 安、驅瘟的科儀，也是以敬畏的態度嚴肅舉行儀式，儒、道都表現了宗敎性的嚴肅。而 民間的陣頭遊行則在敬畏的驅逐動作中，表現爲遊戲、熱鬧，有意顚倒了平常時間的角 色扮演，分別化裝演出神將的驅邪角色。這種民眾所集體展現的狂歡遊戲，剛好與祭儀 的嚴肅性相對照。從這兩種表現可以論證：上等階層企圖借由祭儀強化其社會角色，而 中下級民眾則以遊戲獲致短暫時間的鬆弛、狂歡，在角色顚倒中滿足其願望。從張與弛、 常與非常、嚴肅與遊戲三組觀念，對照西方有關慶典的嘉年華理論，就可發現日常（生 活）時間之外的，乃是人類共通的對於節慶時間的集體需求，一種調整日常工作、倫理 的休閒需要。

While discussing the Year’s End sacrifice with Zi Gong, Confucius said: “all the people of the state are wildly excited.” This wild excitement is explainable by the notion of “tension and relaxation,” by which we refer to the tension of everyday life and the need for relaxation on festive occasions. This is also the underlying logic of the notion of “ordinary” and “extraordinary”. During the rite of “Summoning the Elders” conducted in Taiwan’s Donggang county for example，we are faced with an array of non-everyday ritual activities. The rites of “Sacrifice to the Elders” and “Housing the Elders” are conducted by the local headmen in ritual solemnity; the “Retreat of the Elders” conducted by the Taoists for pacification and expulsion of pestilence is also a reverent and solemn rite. Both the Confucian and Taoists perform with religious solemnity. However, the procession conducted by the local people while the solemn expulsion is taking place is very playful and boisterous. In a performance in which ordinary social roles are overturned, masked performers conduct an expulsion. This kind of popular communal performance of excited play is best contrasted with the solemnity of the rites. From these two types of ritual we may deduce: the upper social levels maintain their social roles, but the middle and lower levels of society use this playful opportunity for temporary relaxation and excitement, and find satisfaction in the reversal of social roles. From the three notions of “tension and relaxation,” “ordinary and extraordinary” and “solemnity and play,J and comparing them with the Western theory of Carnival days, we can see that people need a time outside ordinary life, a necessary relaxation in order to readjust to regular work and ethics.