On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, the New Year greetings are already over.

Transportation has become a car, and the speed of paying New Year visits has become faster and faster. A family, traveling at 70 miles per hour, can complete the visit in no more than 20 minutes. One family visits for breakfast, another for lunch, and the last for dinner. On the first day of the lunar new year, visits are made to the father’s relatives; on the second day, to the mother’s family; on the third day, a quick visit; and by the fourth day, there’s no need to visit anymore.

I remember when I was a child, visiting relatives involved walking. It took over two hours on small mountain roads, and we had to stay overnight at a relative’s house. The next day, after visiting several households, we would finally go home.

Since my grandfather’s generation has passed away, now only my parents’ siblings and relatives are visited during New Year. I think in another ten years, when my parents are gone, I probably won’t visit my cousins or other relatives anymore during the New Year. (Actually, that’s how their generation is—once their elders are gone, they only visit their siblings. Visiting during the Spring Festival will just be a symbol!)

How about you? Are you still visiting relatives today? Which relatives did you visit? Did you bring any gifts?