What is the significance of festivals for the Japanese?

Matsu, the original meaning of the word matsuri (festivals) in Japanese, means "to wclcome the invisible to a place where they become visible."
In other words, gods, who are usually invisible, visit during festivals, and are welcomed by the people.
Japanese festivals handed down from ancient times are basically celebrated to bring about communication between gods and people.
Among the myriads of gods, however, there are some that bring about diseases and natural disasters, so festivals are also intended to ward off evil gods.