Every year, in different countries a large amount of money is invested by governments and people on celebrating special dates. I disagree, because national celebrations play an important role in some countries’ economies, and for individual citizens the importance of the dates relies on reflection and identity strengthening.
Massive tourism ca be attracted by national festivities as they are part of the cultural portfolio of a country. Gradually, tourists end up spending their money on accommodation, transportation, restaurants and other services. This expenditure can represent a significant part of the national GDP, in this way, governments get pay-back for their initial investment. To some extent, in Brazil, specifically in Rio’s carnival over than 100.000 people between locals and foreigners attend the streets of Rio to watch the parade of colors, music and dancers. In fact, the administration of the city reported nearly 830 million euros of income earned last year.
Majority of special celebrations occur on days off. People prefer to sharing time together and build a collective sense of community, even with neighbors rather than spending money disproportionately. For example, in Colombia every 7th December people light candles in gratitude for the good and bad things happened, also they set goals for the next year or in commemoration of someone. Beyond the candles and food expense the importance of that day is to reconnect with people and the inner person.
In conclusion, I disagree with spend to much on celebrations because economic activities related to festivals already contribute to the return on investment and bring a great opportunity to discover the value of people’s connections.