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There is an argument being made that we no longer remember the original meaning of festivals, and that modern society now treats traditional holidays simply as a means to have fun. While I sympathize with the argument that frivolity seems to have taken precedence over traditional celebrations, I do not agree that people have forgotten the original meaning of these festivals.
On the one hand, religious and traditional festivals have evolved from their traditional roots and become more celebratory. In the UK, Christmas has evolved from a traditional celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ into a festival period where people are focused mainly on shopping, giving and receiving gifts to and from family and friends, decorating their homes with ornaments and enjoying a traditional Christmas dinner with their families. Most people look forward to Christmas as a holiday period, rather than a time to observe a religious moment and reflect on the birth of Christ. Similar behaviour occurs during non-religious and more nationalistic festivals such as Guy Fawkes Night. The original holiday marks the occasion where a Catholic loyalist attempted to assassinate Parliament with barrels of gunpowder. Now, people associate this festival with making fires, watching firework displays and perhaps going to large events in local parks. In other words, enjoyment and celebration have replaced historical reflection as the primary goal.
However, I do not believe that the underlying meaning of the aforementioned festivals, or others like them, has been forgotten. In primary schools across the UK, children learn in detail about the original meaning behind Christmas, Easter and a variety of festivals in other religions. Traditionally, in late December, children sing Christmas songs which reflect the religious spirit of the holiday and some schools perform ‘nativity plays’ which are traditional homages to the birth of Jesus Christ. Families also play a role in passing knowledge of the deeper significance of religious festivals. The same holds true for holidays that hold more historical significance, such as Bonfire Night or Halloween. People generally learn the stories, myths and legends behind these occasions at an early age.
In conclusion, although modern people want to enjoy themselves during festivals and celebrate, I believe that they are still cognizant of the original meaning behind the holidays.
有一种观点认为，我们不再记得节日的本来意义，传统节日在现代社会仅被当作一种娱乐的手段。虽然我赞同娱乐似乎比传统庆祝活动更为重要的观点，但我不认为人们已经忘记了传统节日的原本意义。
一方面，宗教的和传统的节日已经由传统习俗演变成更加欢乐的节日。在英国，圣诞节已经从传统的耶稣诞生庆祝活动演变为欢乐的节日，人们主要关注的是购物、赠送和接收来自家人和朋友的礼物、用饰品装饰房屋以及与家人享受传统的圣诞晚餐。大多数人都期盼圣诞节，把它当作假期而不是一个宗教时刻以回顾耶稣的诞生。在非宗教和更具有民族主义的节日里也会看到类似的情况，比如“盖伊·福克斯之夜”。这个节日最初是纪念一位天主教徒企图用火药暗杀议会的事件。现在人们把这个节日同燃放篝火、观看烟火表演以及参加当地公园的大型活动联系起来。换言之，乐趣和欢庆已经取代反思历史而成为主要的目的。
然而，我不认为上述节日或其他类似节日的深层意义已被遗忘。在英国各地的小学，孩子们会详细了解圣诞节、复活节和其他宗教节日的原本含义。按照传统，在12月下旬，孩子们都会唱反映节日中的宗教精神的圣诞歌曲，一些学校会表演“耶稣诞生剧”以表达对耶稣诞生的传统敬意。家庭也在传递宗教节日更深层意义的知识方面发挥作用。对于更具历史意义的节日也是如此，比如篝火之夜或万圣节。人们通常在很小的时候就学习这些节日背后的故事、神话和传说。
总之，虽然现代人想要在节日和庆祝活动中享受快乐，但我相信他们依然了解节日背后的最初含义。