(Fatherland) - As long as we are Vietnamese, everywhere in the world, we can preserve the "soul" of Vietnamese Tet.
Tet Nguyen Dan is a festival of family reunion, so anyone who lives far away looks forward to returning home to gather with their family. At this time, in all regions of Vietnam, even the weather is filled with the "smell" of Tet.
Traditional Tet in the minds of children far from home
In the bustling, eager atmosphere of the reunion day, the hearts of those far from home are even more troubled. This is the 8th year that Hai Anh (currently living in Australia) and her family celebrate Tet away from home. And every year, the closer Tet is, the more homesick they feel.
"I still remember clearly the days when I was in Vietnam celebrating Tet with my family. Every time Tet came, my parents and I prepared to decorate the house. What I remember most is the feeling of being together with my family, being able to go and celebrate Tet with my parents.
I also like the feeling of being taken to the flower market by my father to choose peach blossoms and some flower pots to display in the house. When I was little, my sisters and I climbed to the rooftop to wait to see the fireworks on the night of the 30th. When I was a little older, I helped my mother prepare the incense offerings for New Year's Eve. These are activities that every family has when Tet comes, but until now, even though we try to prepare Tet carefully every year, everything still cannot be as emotional as when we were at home." - Hai Anh confided.
Every Tet, Hai Anh and her family prepare green Chung cakes, red watermelons and decorate the house with bright colors.
Abroad, there are not many peach blossoms, kumquat trees or the strong scent of incense, but the nostalgia for the traditional Tet of the homeland still makes Hai Anh and her Vietnamese friends living and working in Australia try to prepare and find ways to celebrate Tet as fully and completely as possible.
"In Australia, Lunar New Year falls on a weekday so people still have to go to work. I spend my evenings decorating the house and cleaning up for Tet. Here, there aren't many peach blossoms, so I'll prepare a vase of fake peach blossoms to add spring to the house.
In the past, every Tet holiday, my house was filled with fresh flowers, and now that I live in Australia, I also put some vases of flowers to feel the bustling atmosphere of Tet. My family and a few friends will wrap Chung cakes early, so that by Tet, every house will have enough green Chung cakes, peach blossoms, Tet jam boxes... And even though I am far away from my homeland, I still want my children to always remember their family and roots through those close and simple activities." - Hai Anh shared.
Wearing traditional ao dai, celebrating traditional Tet in a faraway country
In recent years, people have tended to wear Ao Dai during Tet. The streets are not only beautiful with the bright colors of flowers, but also bustling with images of people wearing Ao Dai to welcome spring.
And in faraway Australia, Vietnamese families also prepare traditional Ao Dai to wear on Tet, everyone sits down to eat the New Year's Eve meal, exchanging wishes for peace and luck for the new year. Looking at those images, all geographical distances seem to shorten. As long as you are Vietnamese, anywhere in the world, you can preserve the "soul" of Vietnamese Tet.
Hai Yen shared: "On New Year's Eve and the first day of Tet, I still prepare the year-end and New Year's Eve offerings, burn incense and wish for a peaceful new year. In Vietnam, people wear Ao Dai to wish each other a happy new year, so in Australia, I also prepare Ao Dai for the whole family to wear for Tet. Everyone here also wraps Banh Chung together, goes to wish each other a happy new year, and participates in activities of the Vietnamese community during Tet."
Hai Yen and her family have lived in Australia for 8 years. In addition to celebrating Tet with their families, the Vietnamese community here also has many meaningful activities, so that each child far from home can return to their roots and preserve the customs and long-standing culture of the Vietnamese people.
"During the days before Tet, my family and a few other Vietnamese families here get together to wrap banh chung, each family contributes a little bit of ingredients and wraps banh chung together. During Tet, families also organize meetings to socialize and take souvenir photos together.
Everyone wears traditional ao dai, takes photos and gives lucky money to their children and grandchildren. Each family will prepare a dish and bring it to share, so the traditional dishes on Tet are very diverse. Along with that are homegrown performances, so that children born and raised in Australia can still know and understand more about the beauty of Vietnamese culture and traditions" - Hai Yen shared.
Hai Yen's family is also busy decorating the house early to prepare for the Lunar New Year.
Hai Yen and Hai Anh's families are long-time members of the Vietnamese community here. In a faraway country, more than 7,000km from Vietnam, the Tet atmosphere still permeates every Vietnamese home and street corner. In areas where the Vietnamese community lives, activities such as lion dances and dragon dances are also organized to welcome the new year. On the first day of Tet, people also go to the temple to burn incense and pray for a peaceful and happy new year.
All of these meaningful activities are held once a year. Many years away from home, but thanks to these activities, the homesickness and anxiety about the traditional Tet of those who are far from home are gradually eased. From there, friends from all over the world also have the opportunity to learn about the customs and practices of Vietnamese people every time Tet comes.
Photo: NVCC
Source: https://toquoc.vn/nhung-mua-tet-xa-xu-banh-chung-xanh-dua-hau-do-deu-co-du-cung-xung-xinh-ao-dai-du-xuan-nhung-nho-lam-vi-tet-que-nha-2025013110052972.htm
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