How does United States mark Homecoming and Reunion?
Everyday topic
The largest homecoming wave in the United States is Thanksgiving: a federal holiday on the fourth Thursday of November, plus the day before and the weekend, making four days. Its main carriers are the highway and the airline, with airport crowds on the eve and on the Sunday among the heaviest days of the year. The stretch between Christmas and New Year is the second wave. Because the country is large and families are spread out, 'going home' in the United States frequently means a long trip booked months ahead.
What is this topic?
Homecoming is not one holiday pattern: Taiwan's main wave is Lunar New Year; Japan has year-end/New Year and Obon; China's roughly forty-day chunyun surrounds Spring Festival; and Thanksgiving drives the largest U.S. wave. India's travel follows state festivals, Indonesia's mudik clusters around Idul Fitri, and Brazil's return trips also follow school and family calendars. This guide compares dates, leave, transport pressure, and ways of reuniting, while leaving room for people who cannot or do not want to travel.
Sources and dates
Dates follow local time zones, calendars, and official notices. Check the source when a date is estimated or locally variable.