Tet is for relaxing.

Ultimately, Tet (Lunar New Year) is an opportunity for many people to relax, at least for a day or two. Many city dwellers return to their hometowns to reunite with family, living a slow, peaceful life amidst old houses and gardens, surrounded by the moss-covered ancient architecture of the countryside, and immersing themselves in the customs and traditions of their relatives. They participate in the local markets. They haggle and bargain, but only for fun, to share a refreshing smile. They seek the kindness, sincerity, and genuine warmth of the countryside, absorbing the warmth and affection of rural life. In essence, they want to immerse themselves in the unpretentious simplicity of everyday life, leisurely admiring and tending to flowers, welcoming relatives, and cooking simple meals.

Some people choose to celebrate Tet (Vietnamese New Year) with a long road trip, seeking new experiences, breathing the fresh air of remote border regions and pristine mountains, capturing photos of flowers and plants in the warm spring weather, snapping pictures of children with dirty faces in the windy highlands, and enjoying the cuisine of ethnic minorities... This is a real and growing need, even becoming a trend. Many families, in groups of two or three, have planned their trips months in advance. For them, traveling as a family group creates excitement for all members. As long as the seasons change, trees sprout new leaves, the wind remains cool, and apricot and peach blossoms bloom to welcome spring, people can still experience Tet in the way they want.

A truly relaxing Tet holiday probably starts with the values you choose for it. If you choose Tet to be fun and relaxing, then the three days of Tet are like a brake, slowing down time and allowing you to reminisce. In truth, Tet has remained the same year after year – still with red couplets beside golden apricot blossoms, still with red envelopes hanging from trees – but perhaps because the year has been so long, we've forgotten how to celebrate Tet and enjoy this transitional moment. So why not refresh Tet, and also refresh ourselves to welcome a year full of energy? And in this journey of experiencing a truly unique Tet, we're still happy because we have close friends and loving family by our side. As long as we're together, that's what Tet is all about!

The last month of the year brings a mountain of deadlines. Here and there, office workers are already complaining about the worries of Tet (Lunar New Year). And in a few days, Facebook will surely be flooded with nostalgic reflections on past Tet celebrations. And inevitably, someone will casually remark: Tet is becoming increasingly bland. Is Tet really that bland when people still eagerly anticipate it? Is Tet really that bland when even the sigh carries a hint of anticipation? And is Tet really that bland when everyone has a youth intertwined with past Tet seasons? Instead of reminiscing about the scents and beautiful activities in our memories, we can completely "celebrate" Tet with what we have, create and enjoy our own Tet atmosphere, with family and in harmony with the spring of nature and the country. Only we can decide whether our own Tet will be bland or not.

We cannot change past memories; we can only try to create the memories of tomorrow through future plans. Therefore, memories have different flavors for each person. For some, they are imbued with love, while for others, they are the bitter taste of separation… But there is one common thread that is likely true for many: Memories have a nostalgic scent. Let Tet (Vietnamese New Year) remain as pure and innocent as in the eyes of a child.

I still believe that what is beautiful is hard to fade away. Humans are intelligent enough to select and learn from the good and beautiful things outside, but still retain their own identity. That's how we grow without losing ourselves, so that even with changes in location or many transformations, we still know who we are and how we should live as time passes. As long as each of us is happy, that's the spirit of Tet, Tet for relaxing…

If you type the keyword "Tet chill," Google will direct you to an advertisement for Saigon Chill beer, but there won't be any page that fully defines what Tet chill means.

Lately, I've enjoyed searching for videos on social media about the travel experiences of Gen X and Gen Y teenagers. They choose to go to the mountains or the sea during holidays and Tet (Lunar New Year). Their youth is vibrant and full of energy. They travel, experience, and share with the community; these actions may be small, but they are full of meaning. And these young people aren't indifferent to Tet; they just want to celebrate it differently, in their own way. For them, Tet is about truly relaxing.

Leaving behind the worries of work and stressful studies, and setting aside those looming deadlines each week, Tet (Vietnamese New Year) is a time for young people to let loose and have fun after a long, busy year. With their dynamic personalities and constant pursuit of the latest trends, Vietnamese youth are always ready to "explode" and create special and memorable Tet celebrations. But that doesn't mean they ignore traditional Tet activities; they simply do it in a different, more novel and colorful way.

Actually, Tet (Vietnamese New Year) is still joyful, and there are still people who eagerly look forward to returning home every year to celebrate it. Like me, I still believe that Tet has always been the same, never less beautiful. Perhaps it's because we've grown up and lost our innocence, our excitement for new beginnings, lost a heart that knows how to hope, a heart that no longer feels poetic, so we've become bored with Tet. I think that the beauty is still there; we just need to cleanse both our eyes and our hearts, and we'll see the pure colors of spring again.

The Lunar New Year holidays remind us of the choices we need to make in life. Choose what makes you happy, warm and loving reunions, and the continuation of good values. Because tradition is like an underground river, flowing swiftly and continuously, carrying core values that gradually seep from one generation to the next, so that gold settles while brass drifts away.