International students celebrate Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) late.

TPO - As has become a tradition in recent years, before students return after the Lunar New Year holiday, Dr. Ha Xuan Linh invites international students studying at the International Faculty to his home to gather around the family's ancestral altar for the ancestral worship ceremony.

TPO - As has become a tradition in recent years, before students return after the Lunar New Year holiday, Dr. Ha Xuan Linh invites international students studying at the International Faculty to his home to gather around the family's ancestral altar for the ancestral worship ceremony.

Dr. Ha Xuan Linh, Head of the International Faculty ( Thai Nguyen University), said that there are currently many foreign students studying at the faculty. These students come from countries in Africa and Southeast Asia. In addition, there is a large number of students from European and American countries studying as exchange students (short-term courses lasting a few weeks or months).

Dr. Ha Xuan Linh (top row, sixth from the left) gives lucky money to foreign students studying at the International Faculty on the occasion of the New Year.

During the Lunar New Year holiday, international students usually don't return home; they stay in Vietnam. Before Tet, the International Faculty organized a Spring Festival program for students in the faculty in general and international students in particular. This included many activities to welcome the new year 2025, such as a traditional banh chung (rice cake) making competition; experiencing folk games at various booths; a "CULTURE NIGHT" gala; a fashion show of ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress) and conical hats; introductions to regional cultures at various booths; cultural exchanges; and an auction of artistic conical hats…

But perhaps the most enjoyable part was when foreign students were invited by Dr. Ha Xuan Linh to a warm and intimate meal at his family home during the Lunar New Year celebrations, before the holiday ended. Dr. Linh said that foreign students especially love Vietnamese spring rolls. Therefore, every year his family prepares a large quantity to treat these special guests. One year, 30 students came at once, and with his personal car, Dr. Linh had to make up to ten round trips transporting them.

"The students were very happy. Some even said they hoped to be invited to my home next year. Each country has its own culture, and the Vietnamese Lunar New Year is truly a unique and beautiful tradition for international students studying at the Faculty of International Studies," shared Dr. Ha Xuan Linh.

Foreign students at the Faculty of International Studies (Thai Nguyen University) try their hand at wrapping traditional Vietnamese banh chung (rice cakes).

In the spirit of welcoming the Lunar New Year 2025, the Department of Science and Technology - Development Cooperation, in coordination with the dormitory of the University of Foreign Languages ​​(Vietnam National University, Hanoi), also organized visits to international experts and students residing in the dormitory during the Lunar New Year.

William Vu Duc Hai, from an orphanage in Hung Yen , was adopted by a Belgian family. In 2023, after graduating from KU Leuven University (Belgium), Hai decided to return to Vietnam to study Vietnamese at the University of Foreign Languages.

For the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Snake 2025, Duc Hai decided to celebrate Tet in Vietnam, his first Tet in his homeland. Hai said this is an opportunity to truly experience and immerse himself in traditional customs.

For Duc Hai, the journey home was not simply about reconnecting with his biological family, but also a meaningful turning point where he found a deeper part of himself.

Lewen Astor Lillebror Walter (from Sweden), a student at the University of Foreign Languages, is deeply connected to the traditional Vietnamese Lunar New Year through celebrating it with Vietnamese family and friends.

Astor particularly loves the custom of giving lucky money during Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year). This year, Astor celebrated Tet in Ho Chi Minh City with a friend's family. After the Tet holiday, Astor spent time visiting famous landmarks in southern Vietnam such as Can Tho, Ca Mau, and Phu Quoc.

Nghiem Hue

Source: https://tienphong.vn/tet-muon-cua-sinh-vien-quoc-te-post1713799.tpo