In Japan, the end of April marks the beginning of the Golden Week - one of the longest holidays of the year, typically lasting 7 to 10 days. This holiday includes a series of consecutive holidays such as: Showa Day (September 29), Constitution Day (May 3), Green Day (May 4) and Children's Day (May 5), plus weekends and paid leave, creating a seamless vacation that many people take advantage of to visit their families.
According to Kyodo News, more than 23 million Japanese people will travel during the 2024 holiday, mostly domestic trips. Although many people take the opportunity to travel far away, a large proportion choose to return to their hometown to visit their parents and grandparents, especially in the context of Japanese society where more and more people live away from home.
The trains return to their childhood
The Japan Times report said that many families have returned to rural areas so that their children can play with their grandparents, eat traditional dishes, and do small things such as removing nets to catch crabs and watering plants in the garden - experiences that city children do not have. In 2023, a survey by JTB showed that 64.5% of people traveling during the Golden Week said "cationing with family" was the main reason for them to choose a destination.
One of the common images is at the local platform, where grandparents hugged gifts, eyes watching each group of guests. The moments of hugging in the middle of the platform, the instructions were brief, the laughter of the children on the village road, all creating a vacation without the program, just having each other.
In China, the 5-day International Labor Day holiday is the second biggest travel time of the year after Lunar New Year. According to a report by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism in May 2023, up to 274 million domestic tours took place during the May 1 holiday, with total revenue reaching more than 21 billion USD. Notably, according to SCMP, more than 60% of people traveling during this time are in family groups, many of which are accompanied by all three generations.
In Sichuan, a reporter from China Daily recorded a scene of an 8-person family climbing a mountain near their home, not to check-in but to share a meal on the top of the hill. His grandmother cooked noodles early in the morning, he brought a set of tea steams, while his grandchildren divided them into carpets. They call this the festival of their own family.
Social network Weibo during holidays is also flooded with photos of family meals, clips of grandparents telling old stories, hashtag "returning home is the best thing" in the Top search. Despite the increase in train ticket prices, many people are determined to book early just to have a few days together.
gratitude through solidarity
May 9 in Russia is one of the most important days of the year - Victory Day in World War II. In addition to solemn parades, the Russian people also have a special family tradition called "Immortal Company". According to TASS, in 2018, more than 10 million Europeans took to the streets carrying photos of their wartime relatives, walking through major streets.
What is special is that most families bring their children and grandchildren, as a way to pass on memories. Mr. Pavel - a veteran in Saint Petersburg shared with RIA Novosti: "I don't want my nephew to think this is a sad day. This is the day we survived and still have each other.
After the parade ended, many families returned home to organize a small meal with the traditional grilled meat dish shashlik. According to a survey by the Moscow Times, 74% of Europeans said that the greatest value of May 9 is being with family and remembering the good things that kept them together.
Although there are no holidays like in China or Russia, Koreans still take advantage of April - May, the weather time of year to organize family picnicks. According to the Korea Times, bookings at national parks and suburban picnic areas in Seoul increased by 38% in April 2024 compared to the same period last year.
An example is Olympic Park in Seoul, where hundreds of families spread picnic carpets every weekend. In a report by Yonhap News, Lee Joon-ho, 67, shared: My child works all week. Just a day of sunshine, eating out together, watching him play soccer, I feel healthy.
The trend of family picnicks also spreads to groups of young people who have just married. They create a chat group, share to prepare dishes and toys for their children and often organize a "lunch in nature" as a ritual to keep connecting the city's bustles.
No one cooks meals, but everyone is happy
In Germany, the beginning of May is the time when people take the opportunity to picnic, camp or gather with their families. A characteristic is the "No one cooks in arunch" - each family member or group of friends brings a dish, meet at the park and have lunch together.
According to Deutsche Welle, Clara-Zetkin Park in Leipzig is one of the places that organizes this type of brunch the most. In 2023, in just the first two weekends of May, more than 1,200 picnicks were recorded here. Ms. Helga, 72, told DW: I used to have only one apple a year. Now I brought 4 types of cheese and 3 grandchildren. What's happier?
A characteristic of German culture is respect for privacy, but when they are eating together, no one looks at the clock. Everyone slows down to listen, share, and tell small stories during the week.
In Ukraine, despite the war, many families are still trying to reunite in safe areas or temporary shelters.According to Reuters, from the beginning of 2022 to mid-2023, more than 4.5 million Ukrainians have returned home to find relatives or reunite with their families.
In April 2023, a humanitarian campaign brought more than 30 children from the occupied areas back to reunite with their parents.The touching story of Olena's mother meeting her daughter again after nearly a year was posted on BBC: "I don't ask what she ate or where.I only hugged my child for a long time.Neither mother nor daughter could say anything.
International relief organizations such as save the Children, ICRC and the United Nations are enhancing family solidarity support programs during the war as part of efforts to rebuild social structures after the conflict.
Maybe in Tokyo there is a meal with grilled saba fish, in Moscow there is a cup of tea at the fireplace, in Sichuan there is a bowl of hot spicy noodles, or in Seoul there is a kimbap box in the middle of the grass. Wherever, people are still quietly doing the same thing - returning, gathering and breathing a little after days of racing against life.
Peace, after all, does not lie in formal statements. It is present in very small things: A tray of rice with enough people, a train booked early, an afternoon sitting under the porch without anyone having to rush. Just a laugh from a large meal is enough - then you know you are in the right place.
