Travel to avoid... washing dishes
In the Vietnamese concept from the past to the present, Tet is an occasion for family reunion and gathering. However, with modern life today, Tet reunion is no longer just staying at home to cook a full feast, diligently cleaning the house, washing dishes 3 times a day...; instead, many families choose to travel and go on spring trips as a way to "liberate labor". Tet holiday - the true meaning of relaxation after a year of hard work.
Many families choose to travel during Tet holiday.
Researcher, Associate Professor, Dr. Phan An
The first year after the Covid-19 pandemic, Ms. Ngoc Thuy (living in Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi ) decided to celebrate a special Tet: Visiting both parents' houses before Tet, then on the morning of the first day after the New Year's Eve ceremony, the whole family drove to the Northwest for a spring trip. At first, Ms. Thuy's family planned to organize a trip to 3 provinces in the Central region: Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An; but the airfare was quite expensive at that time so they hesitated. Later, a friend's family invited her, and her husband enthusiastically accepted.
"That was the first year after 13 years of being a daughter-in-law, I didn't have to worry about cooking, cleaning, and washing dishes from morning to night. I had a chance to wear nice clothes for Tet, I didn't have to wait until the first day of the month to rush to get dressed to celebrate Tet and then go back to the kitchen. Last year, my husband had to work so he couldn't go anywhere, and he stayed home for nearly 10 days, which was scary. It was my husband who suggested taking his wife and children out to celebrate Tet again. This year, my family went to Ho Chi Minh City to avoid the cold, then bought a tour to visit some provinces in the West. We invited my grandparents but both parents didn't want to go. It will probably take another 1-2 years to "persuade" them to celebrate Tet away from home," Ms. Thuy said.
Ms. Dan Le returned from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi to celebrate Tet with her parents on December 23, to send Mr. Cong and Mr. Tao to heaven. Every year, Ms. Le will return to reunite with her family very early, then on the second day of Tet, the whole family will travel for about 3-4 days before returning to work. "The good thing is that my parents are still young, healthy, and comfortable. When the children invite them to go out, they go right away. Before, Tet was cold and they just sat at home, eating and cleaning all day. 10 days like that was boring. Last year, I took my parents to Taiwan, which was also the first time they went abroad. They decorate for Tet there almost like us, so the elders really like it. This year, my family went to Hoi An, with my grandmother too. She likes to go to Hoi An," Ms. Le shared.
Spring travel "avoiding washing dishes" is a joke, but in fact it has become a trend chosen by many families in recent years. Therefore, at the end of 2023, many travel companies were still worried that demand this year would decrease sharply due to economic difficulties. However, by the end of last week, many companies had officially reached, or even exceeded, their planned targets. "We exceeded the plan. Now we are "on our faces" preparing for operations. This year, we exceeded it by 20%," Ms. Doan Thi Thanh Tra, Marketing and Communications Director of Saigontourist Travel Company, excitedly informed about the results of selling Lunar New Year tours in 2024, as of yesterday afternoon (February 5). During this year's peak Tet season, Saigontourist Travel Company expects to serve more than 28,000 tourists, of which over 60% are overseas Vietnamese.
"This year, the number of overseas Vietnamese returning home for tourism has increased dramatically. These customers often travel in large groups of family and relatives for long periods of time. Overseas Vietnamese do not consider Tet as a big deal, so they often spend their entire vacation home on experiential travel, exploring culture, and experiencing the changes in their homeland," Ms. Tra added.
Buying flowers for Tet is a habit of many families.
Mr. Pham Anh Vu, Communications Director of Viet Travel Company, said that this year the company recorded a significant increase in the number of tourists traveling during Tet in Hanoi and other provinces compared to previous years, especially those under 45 years old. This reflects that young people are less likely to celebrate Tet and have an increased demand for travel during Tet. Up to this point, Viet Travel has completed its Tet business target. Tour prices are therefore relatively stable and only increase for domestic flights due to increased airfares.
"The length of this year's Tet holiday is 7 days, so tours lasting 4-6 days are chosen by many tourists. In particular, international tours are more dominant than domestic tours because they ensure attractive schedules and reasonable prices. Of which, 25% choose nearby destinations in the region such as Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Indonesia... Thailand tours are sold more than the same period last year because the price of 7.5 million VND/tour is not too high compared to normal days (6.5 million VND) and is cheaper than domestic tours by plane. In this segment, the Singapore - Malaysia tour also sold much more. Although the general economic situation has many impacts, the demand for tourism during Tet still recorded quite positive signs," Mr. Vu added.
Buy less food, buy more flowers
The purchasing power of food also partly reflects the current trend of playing Tet instead of celebrating Tet. On the morning of Sunday, February 4 (December 25), taking advantage of the day off, Ms. Hong Chau (Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City) went around the flower market and "brought" a peach blossom branch to display on the table for 250,000 VND. She also spent 300,000 - 400,000 VND to buy a bouquet of lilies or snow mai; and about 200,000 - 300,000 VND to buy some other fresh flowers in the next few days to decorate the house.
She said that her family only has two husbands and a small child, but every year she displays a pot of apricot flowers. This year is no exception, although her income has decreased and her bonus is lower, she still prioritizes buying flowers. "This Tet, I can save money and buy less clothes for myself, but the money spent on flowers is still the same as every year, about 1 million VND. Having flowers at home makes the atmosphere at the beginning of the year more joyful and exciting, and I wish for a brighter year," Chau shared.
Similarly, Ms. Nhu Hoa's family (Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City) also determined that "no matter what, we must have fresh flowers in the house during Tet". According to her, if we have less money, we will buy less clothes, then we will "display" less elaborate, expensive dishes, reduce beer and wine...; but the spending on flowers is still the same as last year. For example, many years ago, she often bought a lot of food to store in the house and every meal was like a feast with a series of dishes, from chicken to pork, beef, spring rolls, banh chung, pickled vegetables. But in the past few years, she has gradually reduced this.
While purchasing power in traditional markets has increased but not as much as expected, flower markets in many areas have started to get crowded since the 24th and 25th of Tet. Many customers still choose to buy early to get beautiful flower pots that are to their liking. For many families, buying a pair of yellow chrysanthemums for 300,000 - 400,000 VND or a peach or apricot pot worth millions is normal. Some people are even willing to spend billions to buy many large, rare apricot pots to display in their homes when Tet comes.
Economist, Associate Professor, Dr. Ngo Tri Long commented that in previous years, people's food demand was still high. Many families had to tighten their belts all year round, so only during Lunar New Year did they dare to buy more meat and fish to improve their children's meals. But later, when the economy developed, people's lives improved and demand was also higher, celebrating Tet was not as essential as before, but instead turned into playing Tet. The trend of many families choosing to travel domestically and internationally during Tet has spread more and more, not only in big cities but also to many rural areas, especially among young people. Demand has changed, so the need to stockpile food for Tet is not much anymore. Not to mention that shops, supermarkets, and markets are only closed for a few days and people can easily shop as usual.
"People now mainly travel. Going back to their hometowns is also considered a domestic trip. The demand for Tet is higher, so buying flowers, ornamental plants or home decoration products is also higher. As for Tet, worshiping procedures are becoming simpler, so buying food is not too much. This 2024 Giap Thin Tet, market purchasing power will decrease partly due to economic difficulties, but the main thing is that consumer trends have changed and will continue to be more popular," said Mr. Long.
Domestic destinations always attract tourists every time Tet comes and spring comes.
Where there is family, there is Tet
In fact, as living standards have improved, the concept of Tet has changed a lot. Young people and even the elderly have become more or less "open" about traditional Tet culture, no longer too concerned about what to eat, where to go, or who to visit during Tet. Many people choose Tet as an occasion to completely rest and gather with relatives. In particular, in recent years, many Vietnamese families have chosen Tet to go out and explore the world around them, which they do not have the opportunity to do during busy days. The trend of women being busy all day in the kitchen, cooking, serving guests, friends, and relatives for 3 days of Tet has been reduced a lot. This used to be a "nightmare" for many women, especially women in traditional families with 2-3 generations.
Researcher, Associate Professor, Dr. Phan An explains: In the past, when times were difficult, the elders often called it "eating Tet", now calling it "eating Tet" is just a habit, in fact it is "playing Tet". However, some very basic habits and customs are still preserved and are worth cherishing. That is the year-end meal inviting grandparents to celebrate Tet with the family, the banh chung placed on the altar to worship grandparents, buying flowers, looking forward to returning to the family reunion, preparing lucky money envelopes, visiting relatives' graves, going back to the hometown... However, in the integration, customs also have changed and mixed more or less. For example, many people choose to give lucky money via Momo wallet, bank account if they cannot meet; or order offerings, instead of cooking...
According to Mr. Phan An, the material needs during Tet are not too great now because the dishes that were previously only available during Tet can now be bought and eaten any day of the year. Even new clothes, which used to be bought only during Tet, can now be bought all year round. Therefore, the concept of celebrating Tet in the past has changed to playing Tet. Similarly, in the past, wrapping and cooking banh chung was a gathering of parents, children, and even the whole village. Which family celebrated Tet was measured by the size of the banh chung pot. Nowadays, Tet is for returning home, gathering with family after a year of hard work, which is enough. After the task of visiting grandparents, many young families choose to travel during Tet, a way to relax after a busy year, which is also normal.
In fact, up to now, in the Central region, somewhere you can still hear women around 40 years old complaining about fearing Tet. Because they are under pressure and tired from having to worry about everything from shopping, preparing food, cooking offerings every day, then going to their maternal grandparents, paternal grandparents, uncles' houses... With that concept, Tet for many people is "torture". Nowadays, knowledge about healthy eating to protect health, avoiding maximum weight gain after Tet holiday is also applied by many people. Therefore, the concept of celebrating Tet has changed quite a lot.
Associate Professor, Dr. Phan An emphasized: "In my opinion, whether celebrating Tet or playing Tet, Tet in the past or present, wherever there is family, there is Tet. The important thing is that the family is together. Young people temporarily put aside worries about food and money, return to their parents during Tet, and will see prosperity right in their own family. That is family love, warmth, and leisure. Tet without gathering, without family reunion, is considered as not having Tet. How to enjoy Tet in a civilized, useful, and peaceful way is the important thing."
Cultural researcher, Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Xuan Dinh cited: If in the past, the banh chung pot was the center of Tet activities, now there is a full range of material life, goods are easy to order, banh chung is also sold year round at the market... As a result, the old Tet atmosphere has somewhat faded. Even the practice of going to wish Tet has tended to decrease. Some families choose Tet as a time to travel and entertain. "It cannot be denied that Tet today is somewhat "blander" than before, but the essence of Vietnamese Tet values still always holds people back to national traditions," Mr. Dinh emphasized.
It can be said that whether it is the feeling of relaxation and peace after a year of living and working, or the excitement and anticipation of prosperity and fortune ahead, we all love and look forward to Tet. After Tet, new energy will be regenerated, starting a more prosperous new year.
This Tet, the "Ao Dai" trend has become stronger than expected, so the products are out of stock. Although the purchasing power during Tet has doubled compared to normal days, the overall decrease is still about 20% compared to Lunar New Year 2023, partly due to economic difficulties, people also reduced shopping. But mainly, the trend of consuming and shopping for fashion products has changed. Even more than ten years ago, fashion stores only focused on Tet business, accounting for 80 - 90% of the year's sales. At that time, every household saved money and waited until Tet to buy new clothes. The amount of goods consumed during Tet by stores increased 5 - 7 times, even dozens of times compared to normal days. Later, shopping habits changed, shopping for clothes took place all year round, not just waiting for Lunar New Year.
In particular, online shopping allows many consumers to shop quickly and easily at any time, so Tet will no longer be the peak season as before.
Mr. Le Viet Thanh, Director of K&K Fashion chain
Tet is a new beginning, new aspirations, reunion, and fullness… Basically, these values still exist. The rituals during Tet have not changed much, but they are expressed in more and more diverse ways. Because when social life has strong changes, the cultural features during Tet are not outside of that cycle.
Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Xuan Dinh
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