Preserving the traditional Tet flavor
For young people, Tet is no longer just familiar rituals repeated every year, but a time to calm down and choose how to enjoy in their own rhythm. Young people still cherish family meals, moments of gathering with family, still keep warm New Year wishes. But besides that, many young people also want to add new experiences such as a short trip, a charity activity or simply a few days of complete rest for themselves. Between tradition and modernity, young people do not leave old values, but gently adjust to suit today's life.
Quang Binh (26 years old, electrical engineer in Hanoi) used to celebrate New Year's Eve alone in the city for two years because he was busy with a project. But this year, Binh decided to take an early leave, taking a night bus back to his hometown in Ninh Binh. "There are things that only when you are far away do you miss. The smell of kitchen smoke, the sound of mother calling to help wrap banh chung, the feeling of the whole family gathering to watch the New Year's program... I don't want to miss it anymore" - Binh shared.
With Binh's point of view, Tet is still reunion when he and his father clean the altar, go to the market with his mother to shop, and on the afternoon of the 30th of Tet, the whole family sits watching the banh chung pot, recounting the past year. "Going to work and then seeing that the whole year is busy, Tet is a rare occasion for the whole family to be together completely. If they don't come home, parents will still celebrate Tet, but they will be sad because they are missing their children" - Binh said.
Not only Binh, many young people still maintain the habit of visiting relatives, wishing Tet to grandparents, giving lucky money to young children. For them, it is not simply a ritual, but a bond connecting the family. Tradition is not an imposition, but a memory, a feeling of belonging.
Enjoy new experiences
Meanwhile, Nguyen Minh Hien (25 years old, office worker in Hanoi) chose a different way. In the past two years, Minh Hien and a group of friends have organized short trips on the 2nd or 3rd day of Tet. This year, she plans to go to Da Lat, staying in a small homestay in the pine forest.
I still go home to my parents from the 28th to the 1st day of Tet to celebrate Tet. But after that, I want to have more personal experiences. Working all year, Tet is a rare occasion to have long holidays. If I just stay at home, it's a bit of a pity" - Minh Hien expressed.
For Hien, traveling during Tet is not "missing Tet", but expanding the space to enjoy. "I still prepare gifts for my parents, still give lucky money to my siblings, still clean the house before leaving. It's just that after finishing work at home, I want to give myself a moment of silence to live and enjoy the way I want" - she said.
This change reflects the mindset of many young people today when they are more proactive in choosing, considering Tet as a time for rest and energy regeneration. Traveling, participating in pottery workshops, learning to arrange flowers, or simply reading books, taking care of themselves... have become "new rituals" besides traditional customs.
However, the change in the way young people celebrate Tet is not always agreed upon by adults. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoan (55 years old, Minh Hien's mother) once objected when her daughter announced that she would travel after the 1st day of Tet.
In the old days, Tet had to be at home until the end of the 5th day of Tet. My children went out too early, I felt disappointed. But after many conversations, I understood that my daughter still values family, just wants to have more experience. Now I am also more comfortable. As long as she comes home to celebrate Tet with her family, let her decide for herself" - she said.
The generation gap is not in keeping or abandoning tradition, but in understanding the value of Tet. Young people grow up in the context of integration, approaching many different lifestyles, so the way they celebrate Tet is also more diverse.
