Lunar New Year is originally an occasion for family members to gather together after a busy year. However, for families with relatives living and studying far away, direct reunions are not always possible. In that context, video calls have become a familiar connection solution, helping to maintain the family atmosphere during Tet.
In the days leading up to Tet, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hue, living in Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam ward, Hanoi, could not hide her emotion when receiving a Tet greeting call from her daughter studying abroad. This is the 2nd year her daughter has not returned home for Tet.
The short FaceTime call before work of her child became a special moment, partly filling the feeling of emptiness in the family. According to Ms. Hue, just seeing her child through the screen and hearing a few wishes, the Tet atmosphere in the house also becomes warmer.
The case of Ms. Hue's family is also the situation of many families today. Previously, when technology was not developed, Tet was considered a rare time for members from afar to reunite. Not returning home in time for Tet often leaves much regret. Now, with the popularity of smartphones and video calling applications, the geographical distance of thousands of kilometers has been significantly narrowed.
Video calling is a familiar feature on many platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Zalo or FaceTime. In everyday life, this feature is used frequently, but during Tet, those calls have a different meaning. Not only are they New Year's greetings, but also words of advice, inquiries, sharing emotions and tears of longing.
Ms. Hoang Anh, living in Linh Nam ward, Hanoi, said that she once experienced the feeling of celebrating Tet away from home when she was studying abroad. Later, when her children also went abroad to study, the worry and longing continued.
For her, video calling becomes a bond connecting the family, helping mother and child chat more often, especially during holidays and Tet.
Sharing about a memorable memory, Ms. Hoang Anh recounted that her son went to study abroad right when the COVID-19 epidemic broke out and could not return immediately. In those Tet days, video calls became an important source of spiritual encouragement, helping the family overcome the difficult period together.
For many families, thanks to video calls via phone screens, Tet away from each other still retains warmth and meaning.
