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Tet, the Lunar New Year, is a rare opportunity for those working far from home to return and reunite with their families. Whether to celebrate Tet together or choose to travel after a busy year probably depends on each person's beliefs. Despite societal development, some young people still choose to return home to celebrate Tet with their families instead of embarking on exploratory trips at the beginning of the year.
The choice of going home for Tet (Lunar New Year) or traveling after a busy year probably depends on each person's perspective.
Going home for Tet, family comes first.
Ha Phuong currently lives and works in Ho Chi Minh City, primarily in the logistics field. While most people tend to travel during holidays and Tet (Lunar New Year), she prefers to spend that time relaxing or spending time with her family.
"I'm someone who has been studying and working far from home, and I can only spend time going home once or twice a year due to the nature of my work and the considerable distance. Therefore, Tet (Lunar New Year) is always the most important and joyful occasion for me, because it's when I have time to visit family and friends, and also a chance to rest. That's why Tet has never lost its meaning for me," Ha Phuong said.
According to Ha Phuong, everyone enjoys the Tet holiday differently. But for her, Tet is an opportunity for family members to spend time together, gather, and share more about their plans for the new year. She sees it as a time to relax and unwind after a year of hard work.
When asked by Travellive, many people believe that Tet is the time of year with the most holidays, so traveling during this period is more relaxing after a year of hard work, instead of being caught up in the hustle and bustle of cleaning the house.
Ha Phuong affirmed: "Everyone has different ways of enjoying their time off. I also have many friends who like to spend Tet (Lunar New Year) traveling and exploring new places because that's when they're not burdened by the pressures and busyness of work. And above all, the climate and scenery during Tet are very suitable for a trip at the beginning of the year instead of spending all their time cleaning and shopping."
As a young person myself, I understand that most young people don't like spending too much time on household chores, but that's not necessarily a bad way of thinking. We need to balance work so that during Tet (Lunar New Year), all family members can spend time together, gather, and share more about their plans for the new year. Or we can also see this as a time to enjoy and relax after a year of hard work."
Agreeing with Ha Phuong, Lan Anh, a freelance marketing professional, shared her perspective on the lifestyle of those who dislike traveling far during Tet (Lunar New Year).
"I don't like traveling far during Tet (Lunar New Year). Because I'm away from my family and work all year, I hardly have much time for them. So when I have the opportunity for such a long holiday, I want to spend more time with my loved ones. Another reason is that Tet is usually when family, relatives, and friends all return home, and there aren't many moments like that, so I usually don't choose to travel during Tet. However, if it's after Tet, around the 5th day onwards, I would like to travel with my family rather than alone, but it will be to nearby places," Lan Anh said.
Although she is an extrovert, Lan Anh doesn't like traveling far during Tet (Lunar New Year).
As society becomes increasingly modern, some individuals believe that Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) is becoming less meaningful, but for Lan Anh, whether it's becoming less meaningful or not depends on each person's perspective. Personally, she feels that the energy comes from within. Having family and close friends to meet a few times a year is a great joy for Lan Anh.
Lan Anh added: "Furthermore, during Tet (Lunar New Year), I don't like being pressured into cleaning the house. I usually make it clear to my relatives that they shouldn't wait until Tet to clean; instead, they should clean gradually, which will reduce the feeling of reluctance to clean."
How many more times will I get to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) with my parents?
Tran Thuan, an office worker in the purchasing field currently living and working in Bien Hoa City, also shared her views with Travellive.
“Having worked far away all year, for me, Tet is a time to be with loved ones. You can arrange a trip anytime, but Tet only comes once a year, and returning home to be with family is essential. Tasks like cleaning the house, preparing food, going to the market... are indispensable cultural aspects of Tet. In my family, members will make coconut jam together, wrap banh chung (traditional rice cakes), pickle vegetables, and wait for the banh chung to boil… all these seemingly small things are what I look forward to all year. Therefore, that atmosphere is hard to describe for someone like me who works far away from home,” Tran Thuan recounted.
This time of year is when Tran Thuan arranges his schedule for travel.
She further revealed that after a year of hard work and saving up a little money, she hopes to bring it home to her parents so they can buy things for the Lunar New Year. Her parents are getting older and their health is declining, so not traveling during the Lunar New Year but dedicating all their time to family is also a way of showing filial piety, and she cherishes every moment with her loved ones.
"During the last working days of the year, I always feel a mix of emotions that are hard to put into words, knowing that I only have a few days left before returning home. For those of us who live far from home, it's something we look forward to after a long year of work. Sometimes I even wonder how many more times I'll get to celebrate Tet with my parents? Therefore, Tet for me is a time for family, to be with loved ones after a long period of being away from home," Tran Thuan said emotionally.
For Xuan Dung, every year he arranges his work schedule to spend as much time as possible with his family during the traditional Lunar New Year.
As for Xuan Dung, a veterinary technician currently working in Binh Phuoc, he shared: "My parents are getting older, and I'm still young, so I want to spend more time with my family. Every year, I arrange my work schedule to stay home as long as possible. If you have the opportunity, everyone should take the time to show this care. Tet is the most anticipated day of the year for me. Instead of choosing to travel, I prefer to go home to enjoy the traditional Tet with my relatives, exchanging good wishes for the new year, and giving each other red envelopes of lucky money for a year full of new beginnings."
All of the above are the views of young people who prefer going home for Tet (Lunar New Year) instead of traveling far, as shared with Travellive. Besides that, there are many other opinions suggesting that Tet doesn't necessarily mean returning home to reunite with family; instead, one can travel, take advantage of the opportunity to earn extra money, etc.
Those who spend 365 days a year with their families want to travel during Tet (Lunar New Year), while those who work far from home all year long only look forward to Tet to reunite with their families. Of course, everyone has a different perspective on life, but ultimately, either choice is fine, as long as each individual feels satisfied and happy with that choice.
