Vietnamese Tet (Lunar New Year) is always a heartwarming memory.

The Lunar New Year of 2024 marks the first time Nguyen Filip has experienced the Vietnamese New Year as a Vietnamese citizen. The Vietnamese-born goalkeeper completed the naturalization process last year and became a national team player. This milestone opens a new chapter in Nguyen Filip's career and life, beginning with celebrating his first Tet (Lunar New Year) in his father's homeland.

In the final days of the year, Nguyen Filip and his wife, Aneta Nguyen, are busy preparing for the Lunar New Year holiday. Aneta is also a Vietnamese expatriate, so his family is very familiar with the customs of the Lunar New Year. In fact, the Vietnamese national team goalkeeper even jokingly said that he sometimes feels envious of his wife because she understands Vietnam better than he does.

Nguyen Filip celebrated Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) for the first time as a Vietnamese citizen.

Having a wife of Vietnamese descent is also a stroke of luck for Filip during these busy end-of-year days. He can't personally handle all the preparations for the Tet holiday while still having to think about training and competing. Filip and his teammates will be playing in the V.League as early as February 18th.

"You know, the V.League is returning next week. Luckily, my wife is very capable. She's had Vietnamese citizenship for 10 years now. Besides, Aneta has many relatives and family members in Vietnam. I always joke that she's much more Vietnamese than I am."

"During this time, while I was still busy training, she rolled up her sleeves to decorate the house, cook, and learn how to arrange flowers to prepare a traditional Vietnamese Tet feast," Filip proudly said about his wife.

The Vietnamese national team goalkeeper and his wife will not be celebrating Tet (Lunar New Year) alone. They will be welcoming his parents from the Czech Republic for a visit. This is not only Nguyen Filip's first Tet as a Vietnamese citizen, but also the first Tet in his homeland for his extended family, who have been settled in Europe for many years.

Nguyen Filip and his wife take photos for Tet (Vietnamese New Year).

“My mother came to Vietnam from the Czech Republic. We hadn't seen her for over six months. When I learned she was planning to come to Vietnam and stay for a month, I was very happy. My father and father-in-law also celebrated Tet with our family. It was truly meaningful, reminding me of my childhood. Back then, my small family also celebrated the traditional Vietnamese New Year in the Czech Republic ,” Nguyen Filip shared.

In the memory of the goalkeeper born in 1992, just like any other child, what excited him the most were the red envelopes.

"Every time I visit my grandparents, I receive lucky money envelopes. These lucky envelopes are just like Christmas gifts in Europe," said the Vietnamese national team's goalkeeper.

"I know it's a very important custom and brings joy to children during Tet. Every year, we gather together and enjoy a Vietnamese-style dinner. Even though people in the Czech Republic don't celebrate Lunar New Year, those memories still bring me warmth to this day."

Nguyen Filip shared his thoughts about his first Tet (Lunar New Year) in his father's homeland: " This is the first time I've celebrated Tet with my family in Vietnam. Just the atmosphere of preparing, shopping for supplies, making banh chung (traditional rice cakes), and celebrating Tet together has already made me feel excited and enthusiastic."

Xuan Phuong

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