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Jessica and Zack had finished a long day getting ready for the annual state-sponsored celebration that served to commemorate the importance of community. Brightly colored fabrics, balloons and projected images filled the city streets long after the Sun had gone down. This festival was a week long, and it was the highlight of the year. An army of workers produced paper and fabric backdrops and decorations that served to fill the senses with delight.
In 2080, celebrations are still as large a part of the human experience as ever. As time has progressed, people have become accustomed to an ever increasing number of holidays, and gatherings are incredibly important. Researchers noted that holidays were wonderful for reducing depression in the population.
The COVID-19 pandemic of 2019-2023 led to another epidemic termed the "loneliness epidemic". People around the globe had been locked down, and human interactions had been stifled by overzealous and greedy tech companies, governments and pharmaceutical companies. People's natural outlets for lonliness were bulldozed, and for a decade after the end of the pandemic, lonliness raged. Humans are a social species, and solutions needed to be developed. Enter the era of celebrations and gatherings sponsored by governments worldwide beginning in 2030...
The streets were loaded with vendors selling brightly colored cloth. It seemed out of place in a world where virtual and augmented reality had laid claim to much of the universal human experience. People in 2080 had become accustomed to brain stimulation from tailored pharmaceutical drugs and brain implants. Humans had accepted video projectors that placed images directly on the eye and clothing that served as in interface with the outside world providing the perfect homeostatic conditions. Despite these advancements, decorations in 2080 had gone "low tech" with a predominance of red cloth, confetti, flowing paper and a proliferation of tinsel and lusterous fibers. On this particular day a banner made of red velvet with stars welcomed citizens to get to know their neighbors and support each other.
Zack shook his head at how quaint and peroquial the scene before him was. Jessica mentioned that this was a throwback to old times and that the focus was on community and the people around them. All the decorations became waste shortly thereafter, but could be recycled for next year's festival.