More migrant workers spend festival at ‘home’ People suffering Spring Festival phobia

AN INCREASING NUMBER OF MIGRANT WORKERS, particularly those born in the 1980s and 1990s, are choosing to celebrate Spring Festival in the cities where they work instead of returning to their hometowns. Guangzhou Daily commented on Wednesday:

It is understandable that younger migrant workers choose to spend the holiday far away from home as the annual travel rush makes traveling a challenge at this time of year.

For those migrant workers who choose not to go home, they are granted the “luxury” of touring the less crowded cities they may not otherwise have the time to explore.

Their staying out during the holiday also means there is less of a labor shortage in the big cities during Spring Festival, which has previously been the case, and it relieves some of the pressure on the nation’s railways.

In return, mega-cities such as Beijing and Shanghai should take the opportunity to help their migrant populations develop a better sense of belonging. The

As Spring Festival approaches, instead of being excited about the coming celebrations and family reunions, many people have a phobia about the holiday because of the extravagance and waste and pressure that has come to characterize the festival.

Many young adults feel pressure to spend more than they want to or can afford at this time of year. As it is a Chinese tradition for children to receive money as a New Year gift from their elders. With the improvement options are plenty: Free admission to local attractions, organized reunion dinners, and complimentary health checks, for example.

Helping migrant workers and their families to get accustomed to urban life and eventually settle in cities would make a major difference to their lives. Non-local youngsters are usually more inclined to seek permanent residence in the big cities and have a stronger urge to fight for it. They should be offered better welfare, be it medical services or education resources.

That many urban governments have made some progress in loosening the restrictions on local household registration is a laudable step forward. They are also making efforts to grant non-local citizens fairer access to public services. in people’s living conditions, many people will end up giving several thousands of yuan to the children of relatives and friends. Adding that money to the gifts given to their parents and the expenditure on dinner with families and friends, it is not uncommon to see people spend 10,000 yuan ($1,458) or more during Spring Festival, which is a heavy economic burden for many people.

Moreover, many people, especially youngsters, get worn out during the Spring Festival holiday, because there are many dinners with friends and former schoolmates to attend, and there is always the pressure to drink during these reunions.

Meanwhile, parents and relatives always urge single youngsters to get married soon, have a baby soon or have the second child, which is another burden that younger adults have to bear.

In addition, as it is an opportunity for extended families to gather together, the holiday has become an arena for showing off. Parents compare their children’s academic performance, while relatives and friends compare status and possessions.

It really isn’t much of a happy holiday for some.