Tet is coming but many Vietnamese students studying abroad cannot return home for Tet, they can only celebrate Tet "online" with their loved ones.
Craving banh chung, banh tet and the atmosphere of gathering with family
Last September 2023, Nguyen Hoang Minh Trang, 24 years old, went to Spain to study for a master's degree at Rey Juan Carlos University. Tet Giap Thin 2024 is also the first time she celebrates Tet away from home, for Minh Trang this will be a memorable memory for herself. "This year, I will not be able to celebrate New Year's Eve in Vietnam with my family. I really miss home, my grandparents, parents and banh chung and banh tet. Although I rarely eat banh chung and banh tet at home, I really crave them now," Minh Trang confided.
Like Minh Trang, Dao Quang Minh has been away from Vietnam for 5 months and is currently studying at Corvinus University, Budapest, Hungary. He said he is quite confident about adapting to the new environment and will not be sad when celebrating the New Year away from home. "But as Tet approaches, I think more and more about my family, friends, especially my loved ones. Honestly, I am very sad!", Quang Minh shared.
Quang Minh shares about his first year celebrating Tet in Hungary
Previously, when at home, the male student of Corvinus University often traveled far away during Tet with his family, rarely participating in Tet activities such as wrapping Chung cakes and decorating for Tet. However, since studying abroad, Minh has had new experiences with new friends and the Vietnamese community here. He said: "Coming here, I can participate in Tet activities with everyone, although it is not Vietnam, but the surrounding atmosphere can be described as very Vietnamese."
Not only the new students, many Vietnamese students who have been abroad for a long time still have the same feeling as the first time when Tet is near.
After 3 years of living and studying in the UK, Mac Thi Mai Phuong, 20 years old, currently a student at Coventry University, London, only hopes to return to Vietnam to celebrate Tet next year with her parents and extended family. "Since coming here, every year I have participated in the Tet program of the Vietnamese Student Association in the UK and the Vietnamese community here. Although I have had a lot of fun wrapping Chung cakes and decorating Tet with everyone, I still really miss home. I miss the times when my whole family prepared things, cleaned the house, and cooked New Year's Eve and New Year's offerings," Mai Phuong said.
Or Yen Quyen, Newcastle University (Australia), also expressed that she misses home a lot when the new year comes and looks forward to returning home to celebrate the new year after 2 years away from home.
No matter how busy, still call home on New Year's Eve
Celebrating Tet early with the overseas Vietnamese community, preparing plans to celebrate the traditional Tet with friends in foreign countries, international students still wait for the important moment marking the transition between the old year and the new year according to Vietnam time. Despite the time difference, they still try to call home at this time and send simple but special wishes to their loved ones. "New Year's Eve in Vietnam will fall in the afternoon in Spain, I will call home to chat with my grandparents, parents and wish everyone a happy new year, so I think it will be warm," Minh Trang said.
Nguyen Thu Ha, 24 years old, studying for a master's degree at Corvinus University, Budapest, Hungary, also revealed that she burst into tears when talking to her family on the 30th of Tet. "When I called my parents, at first I felt normal, but then I became emotional and cried. I thought about the whole family gathering together to prepare for Tet, I felt sad because I was alone here, very lonely. But I will definitely wait until New Year's Eve to call my parents and wish everyone a happy new year," Ha confided.
According to Mai Phuong, the phone calls with her family these days are also full of emotions when she hears the whole family share about the preparations for the traditional New Year. The student at Coventry University, London, said she will call home to celebrate New Year's Eve online with everyone. Through the screen, Mai Phuong can also witness the important moments of the beginning of the year with her parents and loved ones.
Mai Phuong's emotional call home during the days before Tet
"My parents always remind me to study hard and come back to celebrate Tet with my family next year. As for me, I will definitely return to Vietnam soon to celebrate Tet because I miss it so much," Mai Phuong shared.
The New Year has come, not only Vietnamese students studying abroad but also many Vietnamese people living far away from home cannot return home to celebrate Tet, they just hope to return home soon, gather with their families, and celebrate New Year's Eve together...
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