Year of the Rabbit gets going

The Year of the Tiger, known for bringing passion and change, and also unpredictability and explosiveness, is coming to an end, according to the Chinese zodiac. Lunar New Year on Sunday ushers in the Year of the Rabbit, associated with peace, amiability and luck. This might be a welcome change.

Lunar New Year is the biggest holiday in China. Traffic authorities there forecast about 2.1 billion trips nationwide in the 40 days around Lunar New Year on Jan. 22, the first major holiday since the pandemic began during which domestic travel will be possible with minimal restrictions, The Washington Post reported.

What has been called the world’s largest annual migration is likely to expand the COVID outbreak and endanger elderly and undervaccinated people in China’s rural areas, experts said, because hundreds of millions of people will travel to see family, many for the first time in three years.

MARK SCHIEFELBEIN AP Travelers wearing face masks walk past the entrance of the Beijing Railway Station last week ahead of the busiest travel days of the year.