Do we know when or why the fireworks were removed?
I was surprised to see they would remove or re-lock a holiday after it was previously available.
It's a combination of the "anti-TT" thing the devs have (as JKDOS pointed) and the fact that every yearly event has been tweaked/updated for the new year. iirc, they only remove the 2020 version of the event with the last possible update- so it makes sense they leave the event as much as they can before they "cut it out" in order to work on it between that update and the one where it will be re-released.
Fireworks may see new items for sale at Redd's- as the others were quietly added to the daily stock of Nook's Cranny after August 2020. Or new boppers- with the way they reworked May Day, they show that they don't fear having some items being able to be obtained only once.
All events/seasonal items and things such as Zodiac animals will probably be updated with a definitive version once development for the game wraps-up that will be available forever.
...The holidays were ALWAYS meant to be in the game, so that's not a surprise, and they're super similar to last year. When it comes to NPCs, some of them talk less/have less of a role than in NL...
Just a couple of questions, but aren't yearly events that change, even if they are super similar, an improvement over any other game on the franchise? I have only seen that Fishing/Bugs competitions on past games kind of changed since they asked for different sizes or fish?, contraty to the ones on NH that always go for # of catches. But on past games, all events are exactly the same, right?
And aren't there more NPCs that talk more/have more of a role than NL? From what I have seen, the mere fact that Tom, Timmy and Tommy have a whole story (as little as it was) on this game would make them have much more than the incarnations where they were just shopkeepers? I know that Blathers was completely neutered on NL and he regained his personality on this game because someone once pointed how you once again are able to read his dialogue. Celeste was a shopkeeper on NL too if I'm not mistaken, she now has a similar role but the extra of having stories to tell (or did she tell stories on NL too?) Flick and C.J. also seem to have a bigger role than their predecessors, with the whole model-thing, extra money and challenge (C.J.)- I thought Nat and Chip were only there for the tourneys.
I ask this because maybe there is info missing from the wiki, but all those characters seem to be the opposite of what you described. Isabelle seems to be the one everyone sees as having a downgrade, which I guess is correct with the removal of the PWP and all those things she did, right? But aside from her, which others? (obviously not counting the ones that were removed/replaced). Mable/Sable seem to have the same role, Wilbur/Orville probably have the same role as Porter and other standard shopkeepers like Saharah or Redd also seem to be the same. Maybe Wisp? Depending on the importance of him being everything amiibo and now being a minigame? But like said, I'm basing this on the wikis and the gameplay I've seen, so maybe I'm missing some other roles/dialogue.