Independence Day in the hearts of expatriates

(Baonghean.vn) - Independence Day September 2 always holds a sacred and precious place in the hearts of every Vietnamese person. No matter where they go, on this day, everyone still feels nostalgic for their family and homeland...

Traditional costume performance at the Vietnamese Cultural Festival in Korea.

I miss family atmosphere so much.

Hoang Yen - the girl who just returned after 2 years of studying for a master's degree in Australia, can now smile when remembering the feeling of being lonely in a foreign land on the first September 2nd holiday away from her parents and homeland. In the chilly weather of Australia in the last days of winter, the pace of life and work still goes on peacefully and hurriedly as usual, Yen really craves a family meal where the whole family gathers together to celebrate the nation's important holiday.

Every time she surfs social media and calls home, Yen can feel the holiday atmosphere gradually "permeating" into every corner, and her heart suddenly sinks with a heart-wrenching nostalgia for her homeland. But the petite girl from Cua Lo coastal town is luckier than many of her friends because she stays with a Vietnamese family who always cares for her and considers her a member of the family. A family dinner after a busy day of studying and working, although not as lively as in Vietnam, is enough to warm the hearts of those who live far away from home.

Similarly, Nguyen Viet Phuong - currently studying at Fuji Sakura Japanese Language School, Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, also felt extremely disappointed when celebrating Independence Day for the first time in the land of the rising sun. Unlike when he was in Vietnam, these days people often go out with friends, have dinner with family or enjoy colorful fireworks, when he came to Japan, Phuong only had a little time in the evening to celebrate National Day with other Vietnamese students, the party was also very simple, sometimes just a can of beer to sip with grilled meat and then phone calls home.

Phuong said: “We can’t go out to celebrate Independence Day like in Vietnam, but in return, on the nearest day off, my friends and I often plan to attend festivals, camp or simply go shopping. Luckily, in Japan, early September is a good time to go mountain climbing, visit temples and pagodas. Visiting new destinations is also a way for us to relieve homesickness and preserve more beautiful memories of our youth.”

Hoang Yen (2nd from left) reunites with her landlord's family during a September 2nd meal.

Active community activities

The Vietnamese community abroad often organizes interesting, useful and meaningful collective activities to attract the participation of people far from home. That is a way for Vietnamese people living far away to get closer together and connect more closely. Vietnamese people in Malaysia now cannot forget the joyful and exciting atmosphere of the football tournament "Vietnam National Day - Footsal Cup 2/9/2015", organized on the occasion of Vietnam National Day, attracting 90 players, divided into 6 teams and more than 200 fans and volunteers to participate.

Mr. Quoc Huy - former President of the Vietnamese Student Association in Malaysia and member of the Organizing Committee of last year's tournament shared: "Vietnamese people have a very high sense of community and national pride, especially when they are far away, that spirit becomes even stronger. On special occasions such as National Day, the spirit of the Vietnamese people towards the Fatherland always rises."

Football tournament to celebrate National Day of Vietnamese community in Malaysia September 2015.

For Nguyen Hiep, who is currently working in Cheongju, South Korea, the five Independence Day holidays away from home are all meaningful, because of the high spirit of solidarity of the Vietnamese community in Korea. Every year, he experiences exciting activities, with friends who were “stranger at first, then familiar” from all over the country from North to South, singing songs that have accompanied the years of the Vietnamese revolution, proudly wearing red shirts with yellow stars, or for women, the graceful ao dai that carries the national soul.

This year, Nguyen Hiep and his fellow countrymen are eagerly waiting to participate in the National Day Music Program, scheduled to take place on September 4 in Bucheon. For him, nothing is more precious than the warm affection of fellow countrymen, no gift is more valuable than traditional dances, smooth folk songs of Nghe An and warm dishes of homeland on Independence Day in a foreign land.

Charity football tournament organized by the Vietnamese community in Korea.

Burn more pride

“A day of travel, a basketful of knowledge”, the opportunity to live, study or work abroad is an interesting experience that is not easy to have for anyone. Travel to know, to understand and to become more mature in thinking and acting, even though they - children far from home have to endure many difficulties and disadvantages both materially and spiritually. The positive aspect is that what they learn, collect and accumulate in a strange land makes Vietnamese people appreciate and appreciate more the history and traditions of the nation.

Sharing the same feeling, Cuc Anh - an international student in the UK confided: "Although there is no National Day here like in Vietnam, they celebrate their Queen's birthday (on June 11) very enthusiastically. Seeing the people marching in the UK on this day, I miss my homeland even more, and my pride in my country and people grows, and I am more aware of the responsibility to preserve and promote the good values ​​of my homeland in today's generation."

Vietnamese people in Korea practice singing revolutionary songs to perform at meetings and major national holidays.

In conclusion, after all the initial confusion, the nostalgia for family and homeland during the great national holidays further brightens the spirit of national pride and mutual love in the Vietnamese community abroad. That is the most complete spirit of the sacred National Day, September 2.

Thu Giang - Phan Vu