The taste of spring in my hometown

For many Vietnamese people living and working abroad, Lunar New Year is not only a time to mark the end of the old year but also an opportunity to remember their homeland, reunite with family, and enjoy happy and warm moments.

Speaking to a reporter from Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper, Ms. Nguyen Thi Mui emotionally recounted that as soon as she disembarked from the plane at Tan Son Nhat airport (Ho Chi Minh City), she could smell "the scent of spring in her homeland."

The 70-year-old woman felt the bustling atmosphere of the Lunar New Year decorations as she traveled through the streets in her car. She was deeply moved because, having been born and raised in Thailand for many years, she had never experienced such a festive atmosphere before.

For many years, Mrs. Mui longed to return to her hometown to celebrate Tet (Vietnamese New Year), a wish shared by many Vietnamese people in Thailand. "Although I don't live in Vietnam, my heart always yearns for my homeland," she said, her voice choked with happiness.

Overseas Vietnamese tour Ho Chi Minh City on double-decker buses during the days leading up to the Lunar New Year of the Dragon 2024. Photo: HOANG TRIEU

Unlike Ms. Mui, Mr. Tran Ba ​​Phuc - a member of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Vice President of the Association of Vietnamese Businesspeople Abroad, and President of the Vietnamese Business Association in Australia - returns to Vietnam once or twice a year to celebrate Tet or handle business matters.

Returning home for the Lunar New Year always brings him special feelings, making him feel even more connected and closer to his homeland. He recounts that whenever he sees the bustling streets preparing for Tet, people shopping for decorations and enjoying traditional dishes that are indispensable during this special occasion, he feels just as excited and happy.

Everyone has different feelings about returning to Vietnam, but for Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Lien, a Vietnamese woman living in Udon Thani province, Thailand, the most exciting thing is reuniting with her relatives. It's even more memorable that during this visit to her homeland, she had the opportunity to perform the opening act for the program "I Love My Mother Tongue" at the Hanoi Opera House on January 30th.

Unable to hide her pride, Ms. Lien expressed her wish to continue returning to Vietnam to celebrate Tet in the coming years.

Also returning from Thailand, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lai packed five sets of traditional Vietnamese ao dai dresses to stroll along the flag-strewn streets of Ho Chi Minh City. Showing off an ao dai made from Thai fabric to a reporter from Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper, Ms. Lai said she owns 30-40 sets of ao dai and frequently wears her homeland attire while in Thailand.

However, amidst the challenging global economic climate, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Luan, Director of Global Trade Link Co., Ltd. (Meet More coffee brand), noticed that the Tet atmosphere in Ho Chi Minh City this year seemed to arrive late.

Living and working in Australia, Mr. Luan said he had celebrated Tet in Ho Chi Minh City for several years, but this year it wasn't until the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month that he began to feel the bustling atmosphere at the Tet stalls and spring flower markets. For him, witnessing the city's significant transformation was a great joy and emotion, motivating him to work harder to contribute to building his homeland.

Amidst the joy of welcoming the spring, for Mr. Phan The Phuong, a Vietnamese expatriate in the US and Chairman of Viet My Link Company Limited, the Lunar New Year is a sacred time, and everyone longs to return to their homeland.

This year, Mr. Phuong plans to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) with his family in his hometown of Cai Lay town, Tien Giang province. Having visited Ho Chi Minh City before returning home, Mr. Phuong observed the city's remarkable development over the past 10 years and expressed hope that Vietnam will one day become an Asian economic powerhouse.

"Bringing Tet (Vietnamese New Year) home for my children"

Perhaps the most special thing that unites all Vietnamese people looking forward to Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) abroad is the aspiration to "Bring Tet home for our children." This is not a project, nor is it a campaign. It is simply a desire for children born in foreign lands to experience the traditional Tet atmosphere of the Vietnamese people.

I love Tet! And perhaps because I'm a traditional woman, I cherish everything about the ancient Tet even more. Having lived in Berlin for 10 years, I feel more joyful seeing the women in their colorful ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress) strolling through the streets of the German capital. The children, dressed in their ao dai and wooden clogs, playing at the Brandenburg Gate are so adorable that words can't fully describe them.

Not just me, but any mother wants to give her children wonderful things. For Vietnamese mothers, that means passing on the beautiful traditions of Vietnam to their children. Decorating the house with them, picking peach blossoms and apricot blossoms, wrapping banh chung (traditional rice cakes), making spring rolls, and shaping fish for the Kitchen God's departure to heaven... Hopefully, when the children grow up, these moments of preparing for Tet will become a foundation to guide them back to their homeland and roots.

Quynh Chi (From Berlin, Germany)

Source: https://nld.com.vn/huong-vi-xuan-que-nha-19624020521254009.htm