Tet calls for love

In the last days of December, when the Tet atmosphere has filled the countryside of Ha Tinh , when every house is busy decorating to welcome spring, it is also the time when people's hearts are filled with love.

Tet is an occasion for loved ones to return home and reunite.

For every Vietnamese, no matter where they live and work, when Tet comes, spring comes, family and roots are always the place to turn to, to be filled with love. That love is so great that, for many people, just thinking about it can ease all the worries and troubles in life, like an anchor, holding their hearts against the storms of life.

A year with many big and small holidays, many short and long holidays, but Lunar New Year always has a special place because it is the bridge between the old year and the new year, an occasion for everyone to wrap up the hustle and bustle of life and return to peace, reunite with relatives, family, return to show gratitude to their roots.

Anyone who lives far away looks forward to returning home to feel the bustling atmosphere of the days before Tet. It is the carefulness and reverence of fathers when preparing the altar and taking care of the graves of ancestors and grandparents; it is the busyness but no less meticulousness of mothers when shopping, decorating the house, preparing palanquins, pickles, cakes and jams. It is also the excitement of the streets filled with flowers...

But perhaps the most exciting and bustling feeling is still the feeling of gathering with loved ones around the fire to watch the pot of banh chung. The fragrant aroma of the cooked banh chung blends in with stories about a busy year of making a living or wishes for a good new year. At that moment, time seems to stop, all daily worries give way to warm family affection and everyone understands that, on the journey to make a living, through the stops, home is always the last stop, the only place everyone wants to return to.

Family reunion, children and grandchildren gather around during Tet holiday. Photo archive.

With the same excitement of waiting to return to his hometown during Tet like many other children far from home, Mr. Le Dinh Quoc (from Loc Ha - currently working in Hanoi ) shared: “Even though I am nearly 40 years old, having celebrated countless Tet holidays in different regions of the country, but every time Tet approaches, I cannot help but miss the taste of Tet holidays in my hometown. Perhaps, that taste has blended with the taste of family love. For me, a prosperous Tet is not only about sumptuous feasts but also about the fullness of family and hometown affection.”

The simple flavor of Tet permeates deeply into the memories and souls of each person, so that every time Tet comes, people cannot help but miss their homeland and roots. That is a cultural beauty that has been deeply ingrained in the subconscious of every Vietnamese person.

Tet not only brings the joy of reunion, the warmth of gathering, but also an opportunity for everyone to open their hearts to share love, spreading good things to the community. With the motto of having Tet in every family, it has become an annual tradition that these days, working groups of central and local leaders, and volunteer groups from all over the country set out to bring warm Tet gifts to the poor and those in difficult circumstances.

Provincial Party Secretary Hoang Trung Dung gave gifts and shared the joy of "Tet Sum Vay" with workers in Ha Tinh City.

On this occasion of Tet, more than 4,880 Tet gifts for the poor were distributed by the Provincial "For the Poor" Fund to localities; more than 13,500 gifts from trade unions at all levels were given to union members and workers in difficult circumstances across the province; 20,800 Tet gifts for disadvantaged people were mobilized by Red Cross associations at all levels... The programs "Humane Tet", "Reunion Tet", "Spring on the Border", "Loving Tet"... were simultaneously organized by departments, branches, organizations, and philanthropists across the province, bringing a warm spring atmosphere, sharing with tens of thousands of meaningful gifts to people in remote, isolated, and disadvantaged areas...

As one of the poor households participating in free shopping at the "Zero Dong Market" within the framework of the program "Spring Charity Tet Giap Thin 2024" organized by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Red Cross Society , Ms. Chu Thi Thien (born in 1956, Do Go residential group, Ky Thinh ward, Ky Anh town) was moved: "My husband passed away when I was only 32 years old, I raised my disabled child alone with the help of the community. This year, my mother and I were lucky to be able to shop for some items for free, thanks to that, Tet was much more complete and warmer."

The "zero-dong market" of the Red Cross at all levels brings a more prosperous Tet to the poor.

The number of Tet gifts and the sincere sharing of the people make us all feel warm because after a year of many difficulties, the community still opens its heart, joins hands to share a warm Tet with the poor. Love and sharing are given, constantly multiplying and spreading.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Hai - Director of Thanh Sen Human Resources Training and Supply Joint Stock Company (Ha Tinh City) shared: "As a small enterprise, last year we could not avoid the negative impact of the economic recession, but it has become a tradition that every holiday season, the company still deducts a small portion of profits to give Tet gifts to the poor, with the desire to join hands with the community to bring Tet to the less fortunate. Hopefully, the new year will bring peace and happiness to everyone, every family."

Although many customs of the traditional Tet today have changed compared to the past, in the minds of each person, Tet still carries beautiful ideas, evoking many feelings and good wishes. Tet comes, spring comes, calling for love and sharing to make life more complete.

Kieu Minh

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/van-hoa-giai-tri/tet-goi-nhung-yeu-thuong/260903.htm