Same importance given to family, but the family cultures of China and the US are actually quite different.

In the United States, family gatherings are more like an “emotional connection.”
Thanksgiving, Christmas, everyone sitting together, is not just about eating.
They talk about changes over the year: work, life, confusions, growth, plans.
Elders share experiences, young people express ideas, listening, respecting, and communicating equally.
Many families also do activities together:
Playing board games, looking at old photos, cooking together, outdoor walks, watching movies, and even discussing life choices and values.
The core is not what to eat, but understanding each other, emotional renewal, relationship upgrade.
Family is a space for communication.
And Chinese family gatherings are more like an “material reunion.”
During the Spring Festival, the focus is often on eating well, drinking well, preparing more, and planning full.
However, the communication content often becomes:
How much is your salary?
Did you buy a house?
When are you getting married?
How are your children’s grades?
This kind of communication carries comparison, evaluation, and even pressure.
It’s not an equal dialogue, but role-based conversation. Not understanding each other, but measuring each other.
So many people find: spending a few days at home each year, their stomachs are full, but their hearts are tired.
The key word for American family gatherings is: connection
The key word for Chinese family gatherings is: support
One is updating relationships
The other is fulfilling responsibilities
The truly high-quality family relationships in the future may not be about eating a feast, but about whether you can do three things:
Less judgment
More listening
Genuine communication
The most important function of family has never been gathering around a table.
It is—
Making each other become more understanding of one another.