Tet in a far away place

In the endless flow of time, from ancient times until now, although there are many traditional holidays, Tet Nguyen Dan, or as most of us simply call it Tet, in the minds of the Vietnamese people, is the most sacred and important holiday of the year.

Tet is an event closely associated with many generations of Vietnamese people. It has become a fine custom, a spiritual activity, a cultural feature that contributes to the "original face" of our nation, which does not fade over time and cannot be replaced by anything.

As Tet is coming, as Vietnamese people, regardless of different circumstances, regardless of where they live, regardless of rich or poor, everyone turns to their roots, to their beloved homeland. Everyone wants, in the first days of spring, to return to light a stick of fragrant incense for their ancestors to remember their ancestors, to meet grandparents, parents, neighbors, friends, or simply to "have a Tet" with family, relatives, and neighbors. There are still a few months, sometimes even half a year, until Tet, but when meeting each other, people ask: "Will you come back to "celebrate Tet" this year?" A question that sometimes replaces a greeting, warm and friendly; perhaps only Vietnamese people ask each other like that. Those who have the conditions to come back to "celebrate Tet" in Vietnam eagerly look forward to each day, sometimes checking back and forth to see if their passports are still valid for Tet, then worry about booking plane tickets, buying gifts and clothes for relatives back home. Now that the country is quite full, with goods everywhere no less than "in the West", that has become simpler and gradually lost its meaning, but a few decades ago, choosing and considering what to buy, what to bring back, what to leave behind... was a difficult problem.

Those who stay to celebrate Tet in foreign countries are more leisurely. Local people work and live according to the Western calendar; Christmas is a bit more extended, but it is only wrapped up in two or three days, and what we call “Western New Year” is only a jubilant New Year’s Eve, and the first morning of the year is considered bland. Usually, starting from January 3, the hustle and bustle of industrial life, worries, and machinery of a new year begin, people almost forget the last few holidays of the year. Therefore, in Europe, Tet is approaching but there is no Tet atmosphere at all, from the weather to the space, we Vietnamese only prepare for Tet as a habit that has been ingrained in our blood and flesh since long ago.

Vietnamese people, even in foreign countries, usually have an altar in every house. Nowadays, in countries with a large Vietnamese population, such as Paris, Moscow, Berlin, Prague, Warsaw, Budapest..., there are Vietnamese markets or many stores selling Vietnamese food, which is enough, especially before Tet, from ham, green banh chung, jams, candies, votive papers, incense, wall calendars... are all available and not too expensive. On the altar of every house there is a tray of five fruits, and the things mentioned above, looking at it, it does not seem to be inferior to a traditional Tet ancestral altar in the country. Houses with elderly people usually still burn incense, still pray enough from Tet Ong Cong, Ong Tao through three days of Tet, also worship on the 30th evening, worship on New Year's Eve until burning votive papers on the 30th or 1st. The Tet tray, usually only prepared once on the 30th afternoon or the 1st, is as complete and beautiful as in the homeland. Sometimes the homeowner even invites friends to join in the Tet celebration. There are high tables and full dishes, but sometimes only adults raise their glasses to toast and enjoy together. Children, especially those born in foreign countries, who have not witnessed the Tet atmosphere in the country, sometimes just sit there to please their parents and then withdraw to a separate place. They are often not very interested in Vietnamese food, they have their own favorites and stories. Parents prepare Tet dishes and incense to remind them of a traditional custom of their ancestors, but for them Tet is something quite vague and distant. That is generally speaking, except for exceptional cases. Tet for Vietnamese people living abroad in Europe is heavy with nostalgia, a mood similar to the "longing for twelve" of Vu Bang in the past.

In Eastern European countries with large Vietnamese communities, Vietnamese associations often coordinate with diplomatic agencies to organize a Tet celebration for the people. For the Organizing Committee, such a celebration is a myriad of large and small tasks: renting a hall, welcoming guests or local officials, taking care of food, entertainment, cultural programs, games, especially for children, and so on and so forth... However, Tet programs organized by embassies or associations for the people are not attractive to young people. Therefore, the problem of how to keep the soul and spirit of Vietnamese Tet from being lost in future generations is still a big question.

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/tet-o-noi-xa-10298558.html