Feelings of Tet away from home

The year ends, Tet comes. It is inevitable. But why every time we see a branch of yellow apricot blossoming or a branch of spring-welcoming flowers, the hearts of those far from home feel excited and nostalgic? Like all other hometowns, the children of Quang Tri , even though they are far away, always long for the days of Tet, the return of spring, the taste of their homeland, the smell of the fields, the smoke from the kitchen, the market on the last day of the year and together making Chung cake and Tet cake to prepare for Tet.

Illustration - Photo: ST

Due to travel conditions and poor family finances , some children living far away from home cannot return to celebrate Tet with their families in their hometowns. However, wherever they are, they still organize meetings with their fellow countrymen and prepare for a warm traditional Tet. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Ai in Trieu An commune (Trieu Phong district) who is working in the mountainous town of Pleiku said that, during her childhood, Tet was always something she looked forward to. Only during Tet were her parents able to rest, make cakes, and cook delicious dishes to offer to their grandparents.

Tet is the time when my mother takes me to the Tet market, even if it is just to look at the goods displayed everywhere, and the people walking around, talking and laughing happily. "Tet is also the time when we can dress up in new clothes, wear new hats, new sandals and look at each other with joy and pride", Ms. Ai recalls.

As we grew older, we gradually understood our mother's thriftiness. Around the 9th and 10th lunar months, when the harvest was finished, our mother began to tend the fruit trees around the garden, plant more flower beds, vegetable beds, and raise more chickens and ducks to sell in time for Tet. Our mother saved up to buy each child a new shirt and pants, so that they could have a happy Tet holiday with their friends. Everything was for Tet.

Every day when going to the market, my mother collected flour and sugar; chicken and duck eggs were also stored; a small pig was raised to be slaughtered and divided among two or three families to celebrate Tet. The closer it got to Tet, the more hectic the preparations became; the house had to be clean, mosquito nets had to be washed and dried, as if after Tet, those things could no longer be done. Mother also collected vegetables and fruits from the garden to sell to earn money to buy more food for Tet.

For those who live far from home, returning to their families at the end of the year, gathering together, and preparing for the bustling Tet holiday is probably the most anticipated thing. However, not everyone is so lucky. Geographical distance, unfinished work and many other worries make them miss the "home train" every Tet holiday.

On the weekend, the weather in Gia Lai was chilly, and the members of the Quang Tri Association met up to drink a cup of coffee in the mountain town. In the story, Mr. Le Ba Chien Tich emotionally said: “I have been away from Quang Tri for more than 50 years, and in the first years, under any circumstances, I returned home to celebrate Tet with my family. The happiest and most meaningful time of Tet is the time for family reunion, to visit relatives after many days away in a “foreign land”. That wish is even greater for those who are far from home when Tet comes. This year, my family cannot return home, but my wife and I still carefully prepare the taste of Tet in our homeland.”

As the sky and earth inch closer to Tet, the yellow apricot blossoms, the longevity flowers, and the money trees begin to light up, and the streets are bustling with shoppers. Memories of a warm spring with family come flooding back. In the story, fellow countrymen from Quang Tri often tell their children and grandchildren about the traditions and customs of Tet in their hometown to preserve the image of their hometown for their children and grandchildren.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoan is originally from Ha Tinh, her family settled in Dak Lak but she married into Quang Tri. She shared that every time Tet comes, she and her husband return to her husband's hometown to celebrate Tet. This year, her grandchild is still young, so she cannot return for Tet, so she feels nostalgic. To this day, she still remembers the memories of Tet in Quang Tri. Those were the days of waking up early to go to the flower market with her mother and sister, seeing the simple joy and happiness on her mother's face when choosing a satisfactory apricot branch and flower pot; that was the cozy atmosphere when the whole family gathered to cook banh tet, watch Tao Quan, and visit relatives to wish them a happy New Year...

Even though they live far from their homeland, when Tet comes, the families of Quang Tri children will do all the shopping, then soak sticky rice, wash banana leaves to wrap banh don, banh bot loc or redecorate their houses. Until now, our people still keep the custom of worshiping their ancestors on the 30th, preparing a year-end offering tray to pay respect to their homeland, their ancestors and wish each other the best things in the new year.

Le Quang Hoi

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