We believe, as you might know, that Christ Jesus is physically, literally, and fully present in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar. All the pomp flows from that theological premise: we decorate our churches, vestments, and vessels because they are consecrated to the service of God, and because they literally contain God in a more real sense than even the Jewish Temple contained Him.
And, as you know, Protestants do NOT believe the bread and the wine turn into the actual Body and Blood of Christ.
How an annual reminder meal of God's salvation ever got turned into a 'every time you enter the doors ritual' escapes me.
This is a debate for another thread. But some research on the history of the Christian liturgy might be interesting for you. The bottom line is that the Eucharist only turned into an "annual reminder meal" quite late in history--namely, after the Reformation.
And I wouldn't say Protestants are unified in your view, I might add. You might want to ask any devout Lutheran and Anglican friends how often they have Communion, and what they believe about the Sacrament. The answer might surprise you!