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?

Some people feel that religious festivals are becoming meaningless with most people only wanting to enjoy themselves. I don’t agree with this view. In my opinion, festivals are to be enjoyed. Also I don’t think that people have forgotten their meaning. All traditional festivals teach and celebrate the good values of life such as morality and ethics. In my country, for example, people celebrate Diwali in a grand manner by wearing new clothes, giving and receiving presents, bursting crackers and preparing traditional foods which give them more enjoyment. In addition, by decorating their homes with earthen lamps they are also sending out the message that we should dispel darkness from the world and our lives. Similar behavior can be seen during the non-religious festivals like Bogi. People come together making bonfires, watching fireworks displays, and participating in the cultural events held in local parks. In my opinion, the argument that people have forgotten the meaning of festivals is meaningless. In schools, children are learning the reasons for celebrating festivals such as Diwali, Navratri, Pongal, Easter, Id and Holi in their text books. Also, devotional singing and writing competitions are held to encourage the students to learn more about the religious festivals. In addition, parents tell children interesting anecdotes about various festivals to ensure that they stay rooted in their culture. In conclusion, even in this fast paced modern world, people are still celebrating their religious festivals with full of enthusiasm and joyfulness. Just because they are celebrating it does not mean that they have forgotten the values and messages of these festivals.