父母に謝る若者たち　中国・旧正月に起きた異変

Do you have money for the New Year's celebration In China in 2026 this question is flooding social media February 17 was Chinese Lunar New Year People always returned home no matter how far away or how crowded the journey But this year something unusual has happened Despite it being the Lunar New Year there's a sharp decline in people returning home I'm sorry I'm 35 years old That's the age when people start to fade into obscurity I am in my middle years I am a single man Today is February 18 In ten days I will be an elder I don't want to go back I can't enter the village I can't see my father and mother I feel regret Everyone around me I'm not looking for a lover I'm not really looking for it There are many single men like me and bloggers are often said to return home for the New Year regardless of whether they have money or not He says his heart is complicated For him visiting home isn't just a matter of money—it's about having the courage to face his family There are three great misfortunes and the greatest of all as the saying goes is having no heir to carry on the family name a burden that weighs heavily upon him Finally with a look of deep regret he said Father Mother I truly want to say sorry to you here and spoke these words In the past Lunar New Year was It was a reaffirmation of family ties But now it's increasingly becoming a reaffirmation of economic disparity This year after eight years have passed I seem unwilling to return to the past I've been divorced for nine years and have resumed marriage for one year During that time in the years following my divorce I was able to spend a year with my family a period I will never forget Being unable to spend time with family over the years has truly been unpleasant and originally I just wanted my divorce to be over I had thought I'd be reuniting with my family but The blogger says that when sacrifices are made various real-life issues suddenly arise with expenses being the foremost concern No matter how tight my finances are I still have to buy something for my parents when I return home for the New Year As for distant relatives' children you can let them be but you can't possibly skip giving money to your own siblings' children What should I do if I don’t have money Moreover during the New Year period I can’t avoid visiting relatives and friends and each visit requires money The blogger mentioned that once he returned home nearly without any money Just then my mother's cellphone broke and she said she wanted a new one asking me to go shopping for it with her At that moment her heart skipped a beat—because back then she couldn’t even afford to buy her mother the cheapest mobile phone I wasn't told by my mother to buy her something Still after not returning home in years I felt bitter that I couldn't even afford to buy her the cheapest mobile phone She says the dire situation at that time is still unforgettable to this day Since then she hasn't returned home for visits and has started spending New Year's Eve alone in her rental apartment Traveling home for the holidays ends up costing far more than you'd imagine Travel expenses New Year's money gifts for relatives—but the issue isn't just about money Not being able to see the future having no clear prospects for marriage and being unable to show your parents a reassuring picture of your life That reality is pushing young people away from returning home Another reason the blogger dislikes celebrating the New Year is that returning home always brings a steady stream of troublesome issues Family and friends always ask how much I earned this year and what kind of work I’m doing Sometimes without even realizing it people make comparisons and once the other person learns their income is higher they immediately display a sense of superiority Three reasons why I don’t want to go home for the New Year The third one hits the hardest First is the financial burden The current environment is poor and most people aren't earning much money When you add up round-trip travel expenses New Year's money and gifts for relatives it could easily amount to two months' salary The second is that visiting family hometowns inevitably means hearing gossip from relatives Most conversations revolve around topics like how much money you made this year whether you have a partner and when you’ll get married—almost like a large-scale interrogation Blogger's Corner As a third reason he says that every time he returns home his parents' first question isn't whether his job is hard but how much money he earned this year Sometimes I'm asked to go migrant work with my younger sister and it puts a lot of pressure on me She also said she's afraid of being asked by relatives or friends whether she has a romantic partner When she answers that she's not she's lectured about how her future will be difficult if she doesn't get married now which only frustrates her Dad Mom I'm sorry Those words are not a single man's apology Voices of young people who can't return home right now By 2026 China's Lunar New Year is quietly transforming its traditions