Around the world, many traditional festivals these days are at risk of becoming outdated and irrelevant. In my opinion, this contributes to issues concerning cultural disintegration and should be countered by citizens in concert with governments.
The main issues resulting from abandoning traditional festivals concern culture. More commercial holidays such as Black Friday and Christmas are gaining in popularity which naturally threatens smaller cultural groups and their festivals. For example, in China there are numerous ethnic groups living in remote areas that struggle to preserve their traditions over time as locals learn more about the outside world and leave their hometowns. As these groups disperse further both physically and virtually it will be a challenge for old traditions to persist and the results may impact the stories they hand down through generations, their language, traditional dishes and other aspects of culture.
The optimal remedies for the weakening of traditional cultures are for governments and individuals to actively encourage traditional festivals. Governments can make the greatest difference. For instance, states could fund organizations that aim to promote traditional festivals by staging local events and reaching out to older members of the community. Younger people could likewise attempt to engage more with their roots and connect with the sources of their culture. This occurs to some extent already when traditional festivals are advertised on social media to bring in a wider audience and greater attention.