Some argue that the original meaning of festivals is no longer remembered, and for most of us they are just opportunities to have fun. While enjoyment seems to be the priority during festival times, it might not be because people have forgotten what these festivals mean.

Festivals have certainly become times for celebration. Christmas is a good example of a festival where people are most concerned with shopping, giving and receiving presents, decorating their homes and enjoying traditional meals with their families. Most people look forward to Christmas as a holiday period, rather than a time to practice religion. Similar behaviour can be seen during many other festivals. The Indian festival of lights, Deepawali, is associated with firework displays. In other words, enjoyment is people’s primary goal.

However, the idea that the underlying meaning of such festivals has been forgotten might not always be true. In schools, children learn in detail about the religious reasons for celebrating a variety of festivals. Most schools have plays which allow children to understand the religious, and cultural significance of festivals. Families also pass on the knowledge of festivals’ deeper significance on to children.

Though people want to enjoy themselves during festivals, there is no reason to believe the religious, cultural, or other significance is lost. In a world that is increasingly becoming border less, the shift towards enjoying a festival irrespective of the religion it belongs to might be a welcome sign.