For many, Tet (Vietnamese New Year) isn't simply defined by the moment of midnight or the ringing of bells signaling the transition from the old year to the new. It truly begins with the journey, the ticket clutched in hand, and the excitement of the homecoming. Only when they set foot on the familiar road leading home, when they see the familiar faces of loved ones waiting at the entrance, does Tet truly touch their hearts – a gentle reminder that after all the hustle and bustle, there's always a place to return to and be loved completely.
Having lived, studied, and worked in Ho Chi Minh City for seven years, Luu Bao Nguyen (26 years old) has become accustomed to the continuous work rhythm of the medical field. A packed work schedule from Monday to Friday, followed by weekends with personal projects, leaves little time for family, limited only to phone calls.
Last year, due to his work schedule coinciding with the peak season, he couldn't go home to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) with his parents. On New Year's Eve in the big city, he could only call to wish his family a happy new year. Therefore, this return home holds even more special meaning. Nguyen said that the moment he truly felt he had "come home" was when he stepped out of the airport and saw his father waiting for him. The hug after a long separation not only erased the geographical distance but also eased all the pressure and fatigue of work. In that moment, what remained wasn't his achievements or unfinished plans, but the feeling of peace at being back in the embrace of his family.
For him, Tet (Lunar New Year) isn't about material abundance, but about being with his parents. After months of living independently far from home, helping his parents clean the house, go shopping, and visit relatives at the beginning of the year has become a precious time.
Mr. Luu Anh Duong, Nguyen's father, said: "Our family only has one child, so every Tet holiday, our greatest wish is for our son to come home and reunite with us. Nguyen's early return this year has made the family even more joyful and warm."
Unlike Nguyen, Phan Thi Kieu Anh (22 years old) - a final-year student at the Hanoi University of Mining and Geology - still regularly arranges to visit home several times a year after holidays. However, among those many trips back and forth, Tet (Lunar New Year) is always the return that Kieu Anh looks forward to the most.
For Kieu Anh, Tet (Lunar New Year) is also a rare opportunity to temporarily set aside studies and deadlines at university and return to her family. In the days leading up to Tet, Kieu Anh helps her parents clean every corner of the house, rearrange the ancestral altar, go shopping, and assist her mother in preparing traditional dishes for the New Year's feast. Amidst this busy atmosphere, Kieu Anh not only feels the approaching Tet but also finds herself slowing down, being closer to the simplest yet most enduring forms of love.
According to Kieu Anh, Tet is most meaningful when the whole family is reunited, everyone is healthy, and they still maintain traditional customs. The meals with everyone present, the conversations the whole family has after a year apart, make her feel the family bond even more strongly.
Ms. Le Thi Huong, Kieu Anh's mother, shared that whenever her daughter returns home from studying far away, the house becomes more lively. The whole family cleans and prepares for Tet together, making the atmosphere even warmer. For her, just having her children home is enough to make Tet complete.
Each person has their own job, their own journey to make a living, and a different geographical distance, but deep in their hearts, those who are far from home share a common destination: the day they return. Some travel hundreds of kilometers on overnight buses, others rush through crowded airports, carrying luggage, their hearts overflowing with the longing that has been building up for a long year. That journey may be tiring, crowded, and hectic amidst the bustling crowds in the days leading up to Tet, but everything seems to lighten when the familiar door opens, when the lights in the house remain on, as if they had never been turned off, waiting.
Just one step through the doorway, hearing the familiar call, catching a whiff of freshly cooked rice wafting from the warm kitchen, and all the worries and pressures of months away from home suddenly fade away. In that moment, one is no longer a busy employee, a hectic student, or someone struggling to make a living in the vast city, but simply a child returning to their family.
For many, Tet doesn't begin with the New Year's Eve countdown or a lavish feast, but rather with the moment the whole family gathers together, when the familiar home lights up with joyful laughter after a year of separation. It's a time when empty spaces are filled with love, longing is resolved by warm embraces, and the meaning of "reunion" is shared.
Source: https://baolaocai.vn/tet-la-hanh-trinh-tro-ve-post893763.html
Comment (0)