Chūnjié de shíhou, yìjiā-lǎoxiǎo dōu huílǎojiā guònián.
At Spring Festival, the entire family - young and old - goes back home to celebrate.
Tips
history
Already standard narrative vocabulary by the Ming dynasty - 罗贯中's 《三国演义》 chapter 10 describes 曹操 fleeing with 「一家老小四十余人」 ('a household of some forty, old and young'). 冯梦龙 uses it identically in 《警世通言》.
usage
Most common in family-responsibility contexts: 养活一家老小 (supporting the whole family), 保护一家老小 (protecting everyone at home). Feels warmer and more concrete than the neutral 全家.
