Worst Things to Hear Over Lunar New Year

The Lunar New Year's holidays offer a chance for families to get together, but such reunions can also be notoriously stressful.

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An online job-search portal asked users what nagging questions they dread most from their nearest and dearest. Jobseekers overwhelmingly cited, "Haven't you found a job yet?" as the worst question they face, while employed singles dreaded being asked, "When are you going to get married?" or "Do you have a girl/boyfriend?"

The website polled 1,395 people.

Among the unemployed, merely asking whether someone had found a job could cause considerable stress. Also, being told meaningfully that an acquaintance had found a new job was considered stressful, as was being told to lose weight and start taking care of themselves, and being advised to do any job that comes along.

Among the employed, "When are you going to get married?" topped the list of stressful questions. In fact, many singles chose to go on vacation overseas during the Lunar New Year to avoid probing relatives. "Did you save up a lot of money?" came in second. Many also dreaded being told how much money someone else makes.

"Even if such questions are asked out of genuine sense of concern, it's better not to ask them if the other person would end up feeling upset", the job portal said. "The holidays offer one of few chances in the year for families to gather so it would be preferable to exchange supportive words and enjoy each other's company".