Why was my recurring question about suggestions for Winter Bash 2020 received so negatively? [closed]

Question

Recently, I asked Suggestions for Winter Bash 2020, which is a recurring yearly question asking for suggestions about the next year's Winter Bash (or other winter celebration). It is a recurring question of the following series:

• Suggestions for Winter Bash 2019
• Suggestions for Winter Bash 2018
• Suggestions for Winter Bash 2017
• What should we do for Winter Bash 2016?
• Winter Bash 2014 closing remarks - ideas for next year
• What should we consider for next year's Winter Bash?

All of these questions essentially asked the same thing: what should be done for the next year's Winter Bash. All of them were received quite positively.

However, my question about the 2020 Winter Bash was downvoted off the home page quite quickly, and has continued to be received negatively, in direct contrast to its previous counterparts asking for the very same things.

What was it about my question that made its reception overwhelmingly negative? I've received comments that there may not be hats next year, and someone suggested in a deleted answer that I should edit the post to consider ideas for future different winter celebrations instead of hats. I've done so, but the reception hasn't improved at all.

Also, what can I do to improve the question and make it more likely to be positively received?

Answer 1

One reason might be that there's a very good chance there will be no Winter Bash 2020.

A staff member has stated:

Chances are good we won't be doing hats next year, but finding something brand new to do. We wanted to do that this year, but wouldn't have been able to pull it off. Hats have just gotten too overdone and repetitive. – animuson♦ Dec 11 '19 at 19:21

Given that, it's not that unreasonable to expect that a post asking for suggestions about an event we've already been told will likely not be happening will be... poorly received.

In addition to that, given the atmosphere and environment of the network and especially Meta.SE at the moment, people aren't exactly in a mood to discuss fun things. That leads to downvotes on stuff that people think is insensitive or should not be happening given recent events.

And I'm afraid Tim misplaced his keys again.