To try to help Westerners understand how important the Chinese lunar New Year celebration is and why the snowstorms blocking holiday travel is such a big deal, let's take a common image we see here in the U.S.

Christmas is a time when many families gather, with the fireplace glowing, the Christmas tree trimmed and children anxiously awaiting Santa Claus. Now think of the family member who has to miss this annual gathering and multiply that by ten. Because odds are that the family member who misses the Christmas holiday will have other opportunities during the year to see his or her family. This is not the case for Chinese families, and many times it's the only time during the year that young families will see each other.

Unlike in the States, it's not uncommon for Chinese families to be located in different parts of the country. A typical scenario in China is one where a husband works as a laborer in a big city while his wife and child stay home in the village. The half-month Chinese New Year celebration is the time when Dad comes home, bringing hard-earned money and new clothes for the family, plus it's time for him to restore his energy for another tough year on the assembly line.

I read a story about a Chinese migrant worker who reportedly boarded a first class flight from Guangzhou to Chengdu with a packed comforter and plastic bucket. Some might question why he traded a big chunk of his annual income for a first-class plane ticket because coach seats sold out and trains and buses stopped running. But many others understand his choice, knowing how important a family reunion during the lunar New Year is to an ordinary Chinese man who works out of town all year round.