On the days leading up to the Lunar New Year 2025, officers and staff of Engineering Team No. 3, Vietnam Peacekeeping Department (Ministry of National Defense) on duty in the Abyei area (UNISFA Mission) are decorating and wrapping Chung cakes to celebrate Tet away from home.
The 3rd Engineer Team's garrison area
In remote areas where material conditions were still lacking, the engineers took advantage of the items they brought over when they went abroad, along with locally mined and cultivated materials. Together, they created a Tet that was truly Vietnamese, imbued with the flavor of their homeland.
For each soldier, Tet has a special meaning, both containing nostalgia for the homeland and being an opportunity to express the optimism and bravery of the soldier. This is also an occasion to unite comrades, an opportunity for soldiers to introduce Vietnamese culture to international friends.
Lieutenant Colonel Pham Van Hao, Captain of Engineering Team No. 3, said that most of the officers and employees were celebrating Tet away from their families and their country for the first time.
Banh chung wrapping activity of soldiers
"To organize a happy, safe and economical Tet celebration, we had a plan from the first day of the pre-deployment training course, mobilizing all individuals to bring spices to organize the preparation of dishes imbued with national identity. In addition, things used to decorate the room to welcome spring such as parallel sentences, candies, peach blossoms, paper apricot blossoms... were all printed and purchased domestically to bring along," said Lieutenant Colonel Hao.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Hao, the area where the unit was stationed did not have people raising pigs, so to make the banh chung delicious and have pork leg, the unit had to go to the Entebbe area to buy it.
Major Vu Thi Hue, Head of the Women's Association of Engineer Team No. 3, said that one of the special features of the Lunar New Year celebration of Engineer Team No. 3 is the activities that create a warm Tet atmosphere.
Simple Tet gifts are given
Accordingly, each squad prepares a room to welcome spring and together cleans, decorates the house and prepares the five-fruit tray. Although there cannot be a large, grand space like in Vietnam, the Tet atmosphere still spreads strongly through exchanges and conversations.
"In a faraway place, all the material difficulties do not seem to diminish our spirit of sharing and helping each other. Simple but meaningful Tet gifts such as hand-wrapped banh chung, sincere Tet wishes and cozy meetings have contributed to creating a peaceful and warm Tet atmosphere amidst the difficulties," said Major Hue.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tet-cua-chien-si-mu-noi-xanh-tai-abyei-185250124104630112.htm
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