During Tet, when people happily welcome the new year, dress up in beautiful clothes to go on spring outings and visit relatives, many Vietnamese students studying abroad feel homesick and crave the feeling of reunion and family gathering.
Celebrating Tet in a foreign land for the first time, Nguyen Khanh Ly, is studying for a Master's degree in Financial Management at Leeds Beckett University (Australia) , I just realized, missed the simple things, sometimes even felt annoyed during Tet in previous years.
Nguyen Khanh Ly said this year is the first time she celebrates Tet away from home. Photo: NVCC
Lunar New Year 2025 is approaching, the whole land of Vietnam is filled with a jubilant and bustling atmosphere. The streets are bright with the red and yellow colors of apricot and peach blossoms, the bustling laughter, the sounds of grandmothers and mothers excitedly shopping for Tet... All create a familiar and warm spring picture in the memories of every Vietnamese child. But for international students who have to live far from home, especially those who celebrate Tet in a foreign land for the first time like Khanh Ly, Tet is not only a joy but also a deep nostalgia for home.
“The first time I celebrate Tet away from home, I feel nostalgic. Tet in my memory is the reunion meals, everyone gathers together, tells each other stories of the past year, and wishes each other good things. I also remember the special delicious taste of pickled onions, banh chung, dishes that only Tet can bring that feeling of completeness...”, Ly emotionally shared.
After a year of hard study, Tet is a time for a break, so in the past, there were years when Tet came, Ly just wanted to lie in bed and sleep in. "At that time, I just wanted to be quiet, sleep and do personal things like listening to music... I didn't like cleaning the house, and I didn't like cooking. Now, thousands of kilometers away from my family, I regret not taking advantage of the time with the people I love the most," Ly confided.
Celebrating Tet away from home for the first time, Ly was confused when cooking or decorating a corner of spring in a foreign land. She had to rely on her family's detailed instructions via video calls. "Only when you are away from home can you truly understand what Tet in your homeland is like," Ly confided.
For Ly, it is true that only when we are far away do we realize that Tet is not just an occasion to rest or have fun, but a sacred bond with our roots, with our family and with the values we carry with us throughout our lives.
Tran Khoi Nguyen, a student majoring in Business Economics at the University of Amsterdam (Netherlands), craves the feeling of watching fireworks with his family on New Year's Eve.
This year, Khoi Nguyen celebrates Tet away from home for the first time. In a faraway country like the Netherlands, Nguyen misses the times he cooked with his mother, misses the warm atmosphere when the whole family gathered together at the end of the year.
Celebrating Tet away from home, Nguyen realized that Tet is not only the moment of transition between the old year and the new year, but also a symbol of family affection, reunion and irreplaceable love.
"When I was at home, on the days before Tet, I often helped my parents prepare everything carefully: I cooked a Tet feast with my mother with full traditional dishes such as banh chung, gio lua, pickled onions and braised pork; went with my father to choose peach and apricot trees to decorate the house; and cleaned the house with my younger brother, wiping every corner to welcome the new year clean and tidy," Nguyen recalled.
Tran Khoi Nguyen - student in the Netherlands. Photo: NVCC.
The international student clearly remembers the New Year's Eves when the three of them went to watch fireworks at Den Lu Lake, feeling overwhelmed and elated when standing in front of the whole sky lit up brilliantly.
"At those times, I often buy a large sugarcane and a package of salt - symbols of wishes for a lucky and prosperous new year, then return home to gather with my family. On the first morning of the new year, my family often has a family reunion meal and then goes to my grandparents' house to celebrate Tet...", Nguyen confided and could not hide her emotions when remembering the memories of family reunion while living far away.
With Le Anh Tuan, international student majoring in Pharmacology, University of Melbourne (Australia)
, Tet memories are associated with the moment of wrapping Chung cake with family.
Le Anh Tuan remembers most the meticulous feeling of tying each string to wrap Chung cake during Tet. Photo: NVCC
Tuan said that as a meticulous person, he really enjoyed carefully balancing the amount of rice, meat and green beans, as well as tying the strings tightly to make a beautiful cake.
The guy born in 2005 also remembers the lucky money envelopes filled with wishes for a good new year or joining the bustling crowd to ask for calligraphy at the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam to pray for a smooth and successful year of studying.
"There were also times when I was 'temperamental', during Tet I only liked to hang out with friends and forgot about my family. This year, celebrating Tet away from home, I realized what 'Tet Sum Vay' means and felt terribly homesick," Tuan shared.
This year, in the land of Kangaroo, Tuan and his friends plan to organize cooking parties, meet up, and share Tet customs from different regions of Vietnam. "This will help us to ease our homesickness during Tet," Tuan said.
Vietnamnet.vn
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/lan-dau-don-tet-o-troi-tay-cua-du-hoc-sinh-2363047.html
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