I am sure when our ancestors sat around a fire with the whole family they had no idea what chaos family reunions could cause. Likewise, when Cangjie invented Chinese characters 4,600 years ago, he could not have foreseen the era of typewriters and computers. However, that is not a reason why we should simplify things by getting rid of those elements our current infrastructure or technology cannot accommodate. Science and technology exist to help us keep our heritage, not to reduce us to an economically optimum existence that has no richness.
That does not mean I am in favor of everybody making the journey home regardless of circumstances. On the contrary, each person should weigh the costs when making a decision. And this year, the odds are stacked against the customary "I'll be home for the New Year".
When I was a kid - a time of shortages, this holiday meant new clothes and enough food for several days. Now, most Chinese can live every day as if it is the Spring Festival, and we realize it is not just the material things that make us long for the season, it is the warmth of sitting around a big table with family members and relatives - your parents whom you have not seen for 12 months, your aunt who doted on you when you were a toddler, and even your high-school friend.
As our family structure keeps shrinking, we will probably see in our lifetime the disappearance of big families, and we will recall with fond memories the good old days when family members journeyed distances - some even from abroad - to share New Year's Eve watching a television show and feasting.
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