For the Chinese, the family is the basic unit for celebrating New Year, but the family, like society, has been changing in recent years. Couples whose children have grown up and moved out, face the "empty nest syndrome," while many individuals, particularly among the elderly, live on their own.
除了心情回歸傳統之外，中國人以家族為團圓的基本單位，也由於近年來社會與家庭型態的變動而產生改變，像許多單身人士、子女成長離家的空巢期夫婦，甚至獨居老人、街頭遊民，為了也能享受年節的團圓喜氣，而選擇不同的團聚方式。