'When I leave, I miss my homeland.'

Hung was my friend; we were classmates, we herded buffalo together in the same fields, and when we grew up, we both liked the same girl. Then Hung, a charming and talented man far superior to me, quickly snatched the prettiest girl in the village and took her all the way to Europe. Decades have passed since then. Now, that "perfect couple" has settled in Canada.

The further apart we are, the stronger our friendship becomes. Besides regularly texting each other to check in, every year we do the same...every year before New Year's EveThe two of us would call each other and chat about everything under the sun for dozens of minutes. Our conversations, spoken in the Nghe An accent, were usually lively, blending with the greetings, songs, and laughter of people half a world apart. I remember last year when Hung called me, the calendar for that day had a folk verse printed on it:"As I leave, I remember my homeland / I remember the water spinach soup, I remember the pickled eggplant with soy sauce."

Spring has arrived, and I suddenly remembered Hung's worried message this morning: "Is Tet in our hometown any better this year?" It seems like he asks me that question every year, and it seems like I can't satisfy him with just a few brief lines. That's how people from Nghe An are; no matter where they are in the world, they always feel a deep longing for their homeland.

Evening light - Quynh Bang commune (Quynh Luu district). Photo: Ho Long

I have a feeling that the further away from home people from Nghe An are, the more... authentically Nghe An they become.

It is known that Nghe An is one of the provinces with the highest number of people living and working abroad in the country. Not including those who have settled abroad or those studying overseas, just the number of people working abroad alone is already 62,000. My friend is just one of hundreds of thousands.artisanPeople are living and working all over this beautiful and lovely planet. When I ask my friends living abroad about the Tet (Lunar New Year) celebrations in Nghe An there, I almost always receive a very satisfying answer: "Whatever we have in Vietnam, we have here too."

This is truly good news. In the 4.0 era, the interconnectedness of markets and the intermingling of cultures, further amplified by the explosive development of information technology, have seemingly shortened spatial distances tremendously. The tangible geographical boundaries have been spectacularly overshadowed by the "borderless" nature of technology. No matter where they are, what they do, or what position they hold, people from Nghe An remain people from Nghe An. In fact, I have the feeling that the further they are from their hometown, the more... authentically Nghe An they become.

If Vietnamese communities abroad are being likened to miniature Vietnam, then...people from Nghe An living abroadIt's like a "Nghe An" village nestled there. Wherever they are, people from Nghe An are connected, sharing and supporting each other in life and business. Every Tet holiday is a time for Nghe An people to hold a "village festival." In places with large Nghe An populations, like Kyiv - the capital of Ukraine, there are even associations of people from Nghe An. These associations have executive committees, presidents, and even "branches" in districts, cities, and towns.

People from Nghe An living in different countries often celebrate Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) according to different time zones, but most people still "clock" the "original" New Year's Eve in their hometown to stay connected. I have quite a few friends living abroad, so I have a lot of information about the Tet celebrations of people from Nghe An living far from home. While I was writing this article, I received a message from Hien, a friend living in the US: "I went to the Vietnamese Tet market this afternoon and cried, I thought I was at Hung Dung market."

Vietnamese students in France make banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) to celebrate Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year). Photo: vietnamnet.vn

"Sitting and watching the pot of sticky rice cakes cook, the fragrant aroma of banana leaves filling the house, the feeling of waiting for New Year's Eve and even the fireworks... at that moment, I felt like I was in Vietnam."

Sister Maja Ta

Nguyen Kien Cuong (house number 66, Nguyen Duy Trinh Street, Vinh City), who lives in France, messaged me: “We celebrate Tet here just like at home, the only difference is we can set off firecrackers freely. For the three days of Tet, we offer incense, pay respects to our ancestors, visit each other's homes, and go to temples to pray for good fortune. Some locals who know about Vietnamese Tet also come to offer congratulations and share in the festivities.” My status update about Tet for people from Nghe An living abroad on a Vinh City fan page received hundreds of comments from people from Nghe An living all over the world. Everyone expressed their longing for their homeland, their desire to return home, and their efforts to have a truly traditional Tet celebration. Maja Ta, a woman from Nghe An currently living...settle in PolandShe just replied to me: "We have everything we need here, whether it's the Western New Year or the Lunar New Year, we still make our own banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes). Making banh chung during Tet is quite enjoyable; sitting and watching the pot of banh chung cook, the fragrant aroma of banana leaves filling the house, the feeling of waiting for New Year's Eve and even setting off firecrackers... at that moment, I feel like I'm in Vietnam."

Ms. Thanh Hien, residing in the Middle East block, Hung Dung ward, Vinh city (currently living in the US), shared: “Every time Tet (Vietnamese New Year) comes around, those of us living far from home can't help but feel a pang of nostalgia, a deep longing for our homeland, our family, and our loved ones. Every year, on Vietnamese New Year's Eve (12 noon on the 29th in the US), we still have to work, but we make sure to call home to wish everyone a Happy New Year… We know we shouldn't cry at that moment, but tears just flow because the longing for home is so overwhelming. Living in the US, our family still maintains Vietnamese culture and customs. On the 30th day of Tet, no matter how busy we are, our children and grandchildren always take time off to gather around the New Year's Eve dinner table, chatting and waiting for the moment of the New Year's Eve. What makes me proud is that my children, who live in the US, and my son-in-law, who is of Filipino origin, still maintain the traditions of Nghe An and are happy and eager to welcome the Lunar New Year.” (Thanh Hien, sent from Maryland, USA).

That's it, no matter where they are, people from Nghe An will always be people from Nghe An, and the Nghe An New Year will always be the Nghe An New Year wherever they are. Each country has its own time zone, each time zone has its own New Year's Eve, plus the "original" New Year's Eve in Vietnam, so the feelings are doubled; home and away places intertwine, converge, and bring families together.

A warm and cozy atmosphere around the pot of Tet sticky rice cakes. Photo: Trung Ha

Traditional Tet (Lunar New Year) is a time to connect with our roots. During the three days of Tet, we visit each other, reflect on the achievements of the past year, and find inspiration for the new year ahead. Tet is also a time to honor our ancestors, to seek out moral values ​​and age-old traditions. Tet is a time when our hearts turn towards the community. While we enjoy warmth and comfort, while we have our own square and round banh chung (traditional rice cakes), there are still many heartbreaking situations and people who do not have a Tet celebration.

While we, the people of Nghe An, are celebrating New Year's Eve, hundreds of thousands of Nghe An expatriates are yearning for their homeland. Let's not forget those drops of blood from our distant homeland, nor forget the hundreds of millions of dollars in remittances sent home each year, nor forget the dozens of projects invested in Nghe An by overseas Nghe An residents, contributing to the enrichment and beautification of our beloved homeland. People from Nghe An living abroad are an inseparable part of Nghe An.

Rolls of banana leaves rush by on carts, scattering in all directions. The last pages of the calendar for the Year of the Rat are completing their mission as witnesses to time. The Year of the Ox is approaching; may the new year bring good fortune, and may the people of Nghe An across the globe welcome a peaceful and healthy new spring. Suddenly, I think of the folk verse, "When I leave, I remember my homeland / I remember the water spinach soup, I remember the pickled eggplant."