The Significance of Festivals is 'In Tune with the World' —Interpretation from the Perspective of Western Cultural Theory

In the historical background of "festivalization of culture", to clarify the meaning of festivals is a prerequisite for accomplishing the cultural value of festivals. By interpreting relevant western cultural theories, especially Pieper’s statements, this article argues that "in tune with the world" is the fundamental meaning of festivals. Considered as a result, "in tune with the world" means metaphysical needs are satisfied, and when taken as a prerequisite, "in tune with the world" should rely on totality strength. The enlightenment rationality breaks away from the field of metaphysics due to overemphasis on reflection, which results in the discontinuity of totality strength in the transition from old to new. This is the fundamental reason why some current festivals cannot realize their own values. Therefore, emphasizing a festival’s cultural connotation and exploring the possibility of re-endowing festivals with charm should be the top priority of research on festivals.