Tied to the lunar calendar, the holiday began as a time for feasting and to honor household and heavenly deities, as well as ancestors. The New Year typically begins with the first new moon that occurs between the end of January and spans the first 15 days of the first month of the lunar calendar—until the full moon arrives.

Imagine! Just imagine reading that ad and stepping up to the captain of a surely perilous voyage and saying, “Yes, sir, I’m your guy.” Whether through an indomitable spirit of adventure, a yearning to explore and become famous, or even abject poverty or lack of alternatives, each of those men had one thing in common: optimism. Whatever their reasons, they felt that this step would change something for them or within them.