Photo/Illutration Travelers wait for their trains at Hangzhou East railway station during the Spring Festival travel rush in Hangzhou, China, on Jan. 20. (China Daily via REUTERS)

The Lunar New Year, arguably the most important holiday in China, falls on Jan. 22 this year.

In his 1951 essay titled “The Spring Festival of Beijing,” author Lao She (1899-1966), who is best known for his novel “Luotuo Xiangzi” (published in English as “Rickshaw Boy”), lovingly describes how much this festival means to the Chinese people.

On “chuxi” (New Year’s Eve), the sounds of firecrackers exploding fill the air. People return to their hometowns, dressed in their Sunday best, and families gather around the festive table laden with sumptuous holiday foods.

But all the clamorous merrymaking is replaced with silence and stillness on New Year’s Day. The streets are littered with the debris of used firecrackers, and “the whole town rests,” Lao wrote.

This big day is more special than ever this year.

People who were unable to return to their hometowns last year and the year before due to the government’s restrictive “zero COVID" policy are looking eagerly forward to their first homecoming in three years.

A whopping 2.1 billion people are said to be travelling this year.

Concerns remain about a spread of infections, but social media is abuzz with posts wishing everyone a happy New Year and an auspicious Year of the Rabbit.

In the meantime, hordes of people are scrambling to obtain train tickets and secure the services of pet sitters while they are away. I imagine that’s how it is for ordinary holidaymakers, anywhere.

In Japan, the lunar calendar has basically been out of use since the Meiji Era (1868-1912). But there are countries where the use of multiple calendars is not unusual.

The Lunar New Year is celebrated in South Korea and Vietnam. And there are countries where the Jewish calendar and the Buddhist calendar are followed.

All around the world, people get on with their lives in accordance with varying time-marking systems.

Lao She, who was persecuted during the Cultural Revolution and took his life, once noted to the effect: “Knives are not used on the Lunar New Year’s Day because that’s considered unlucky. Even though that’s a superstition, it indicates our love of peace.”

Empathizing with his observation, I pray the new year will be safe and peaceful for everyone.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Jan. 21

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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