Festivals， generally representing cultural and ethnic diversity， are celebrated all around the world. They are occasions when people dressup in traditional costumes， attend ceremonies，decorate their houses， express or receive blessings， love，respect，gratitude， or congratulations and so on， usually in a joyfulatmosphere.
Festivals have a wide range of origins， such as the seasons of the year，religions， famous figures and important events. Of all the traditional festivals， the harvest festival can be found in almost every culture. This agricultural festival takes place after all the crops have been gathered in. People setoff to celebrate， showing they are grateful for the year’s supply of food.
Customs play a significant role in festivals but sometimes they can change over time. With the development of modern society and the spread of new ideas， some traditions may fadeaway and others may be established. However， festivals are becoming more and more commercial， with businesses takingadvantageof the celebrations.
In general， festivals reflect people’s wishes，beliefs，faiths and attitudes towards life. Studying festivals carefully， you may be surprised to realize that different cultures actually havealotincommonafterall.
