Or, wriggling out of the survival yoke?
People, be adults or children, in the modern world are overwhelmed with demands which virtually tie them to yokes of all forms during their life times. In the so-called developing world, for most, it is a struggle to survive all year long. For adults, it is a struggle to keep the families alive and for children, it is a struggle to score the right marks to pass the right exam or enter the right school, which would launch them forward in their prosperous future lives.
This is, of course, not an argument to support a claim that life was bliss in the years gone by. Struggle we did and struggle we do, but on different planes and for different objectives. For many, it could be as banal as a struggle to have that third skiing holiday; while for some, it is a struggle to pay their mortgage installments.
Still, people, wherever they live, do find time to get together and the society provides outlets for that in the form of celebrations. We celebrate numerous events - personal and national. A truly communal celebration in the East is the New Year , which marks an astronomical event.
There are also celebrations of religious events like Wesak, Christmas, and Ramadan. These are the major celebrations.
Can we forecast the future of such celebrations? Well, I think, they may not go extinct, but certainly change in character.
Why wouldn't they die away? I would say that commercialism will ensure their survival. Celebrations are big business. Every year you hear of new inventions of celebrations. We have had mothers' and fathers' days. Soon, there could be brothers' and sisters' days (Already there? Oh dear!!). Animals' days are celebrated in The Netherlands for some years now.
Well, I would leave it to you to come up with an invention and push it worldwide, while keeping the rights and end up smiling!!