Most people have forgotten the meaning behind traditional or religious festivals; during festival periods, people nowadays only want to enjoy themselves. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

There is a current argument over whether the underlying meaning of religious and traditional festivals are being forgotten and people just see them as an opportunity to have fun. I completely disagree with this opinion.

The main reason why I don't believe that people treated devout and customary fiestas as a holiday is because most of religious rituals are being continued. For instance, in Lunar New Year in Vietnam, locals have been practised religions such as praying at pagodas, worshipping ancestors, eating Chung cake. Those are some Vietnamese distinctive customs, which have been passed down and practised for thousands years. Besides that, in many Western countries, in Easter Day or Christmas, churches are crowded with Christians, and families gathered to have a meal with family’ members with traditional dishes.

Another reason why I don’t support the notion that the original meaning of festivals have been forgotten stems from the fact that the definitions of these festivals are still dispersed in the community. For example, UK primary schools teach children specifically about the innate of Christmas day and some religious songs. Parents and grandparents also play an important role in passing down knowledge of these such festivals.

In conclusion, I totally disagree that the meanings behind religious or traditional festivals are being forgotten and treated lightly because a lot of traditional rituals are still being practised and passed down, moreover, religious contents now are a part of official education programmes. Given this situation, I think that people can enjoy themselves in these occasions as long as they aware of the underlying meaning and preserve them as a cultural beauty