This is where the power of culture lies.
In online discussions, some have debased both historical heroes by saying their suicides were worthless since the courts and kings they were loyal to were corrupt, so some question the cultural connotation of this festival.
As naive and nihilistic as such remarks may be, it is not bad for people to have such discussions, which suggests they are keen to know about the festival's origins.
Both historical figures are objects of worship not because they showed their loyalty to their kings and states by committing suicide. Rather it is because they committed to their own ambitions and ideals, and both preferred to die when they found it impossible to put into practice those ambitions and ideals.
Traditional festivals such as this appeal less to young people as they do to older generations. That is a worldwide phenomenon.
Yet there is always something in traditional festivals that young people can draw on as cultural nutrition so that they better understand the life path that lies before them.
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