The word "family" is sacred.

(Baonghean) - In everyone's heart, family always holds the most important and sacred place. Therefore, this year's Vietnamese Family Day celebration features many meaningful activities organized to honor the beautiful values ​​of the Vietnamese family...

For the families of staff and employees of Nghe An University of Economics, Vietnamese Family Day 2015 was truly warm and meaningful as they reunited at the "Family Festival" organized by the university. On the evening of May 25th, the main hall of the university was beautifully decorated with fresh flowers and balloons, welcoming members of their families. Perhaps this was a rare opportunity during the year for the families of colleagues to reunite. They happily and enthusiastically joined together in the lively atmosphere of welcoming cultural performances and fun "competitions" between families with endearing and warm names: the "Warm Home" team, the "Peaceful and Joyful" team, the "Harmony" team, the "Love" team, the "Happiness" team…

The family of Ms. Nguyen Thi Nho in Hung Binh ward (Vinh City) during a family reunion.

Ms. Dang Thi Thao (lecturer in the Faculty of Basic Sciences) shared: “This is truly a celebration of love, solidarity, and sharing. Because everyone is busy with work and studies on weekdays, parents and children rarely have the opportunity to have fun together. During the Family Day event, we truly experienced a joyful and happy atmosphere, enjoying ourselves and interacting with other families. After the fun competitions, parents and children had the chance to understand and empathize with each other more, and to express their love for their dearest loved ones. Participating in the “Family Day” event, busy parents also gained practical and useful knowledge such as: how to raise healthy children, how to teach them well, how to organize the family, how to build and maintain harmonious and equal family relationships, and how to prepare nutritious meals…”

These days, the atmosphere of Vietnamese Family Day has spread to many agencies, units, and businesses. Some units, such as Que Phong, Nghi Loc, and Anh Son, are bustling with activities such as gatherings, exchanges, and group games, creating a joyful and warm atmosphere for families. Throughout the streets and in front of some agencies and units, banners and slogans promoting the message "A warm and loving family meal" are displayed. The Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism is intensifying its efforts to promote and encourage families to have a family meal on Sunday (June 28th)... And a meticulously planned and spectacular art exchange program will be held on the evening of June 26th, 2015, at Ho Chi Minh Square, as a meaningful gift for families on Vietnamese Family Day.

On this special holiday, everyone returns to the warm embrace of family, to receive and share love. Although the six children of Ms. Nguyen Thi Nho (Hung Binh Ward - Vinh City) work and live in various places inside and outside the province, it has become a tradition for the family to reunite on holidays throughout the year. A meal with delicious dishes, cooked and cared for by the children and grandchildren with love, is a meaningful gift for their grandparents and parents. What greater joy and happiness is there than when parents, children, siblings, and grandchildren, after a long time apart, gather around the table, chat, and share stories? Although each member has their own family and job, whenever they gather around the family table, they are happy to give and receive love; this is an incredibly powerful source of emotional support, providing motivation in life.

The families of staff and employees of Nghe An University of Economics showcased their cooking skills at the "Family Day" event.

In every family reunion, thoughts and feelings are shared and understood; joy is multiplied, worries are relieved, and difficulties and setbacks are overcome with support and assistance from siblings within the same family… Dinh Thi Ai Nhi (granddaughter of Mrs. Nho) confided that every year, Vietnamese Family Day reminds them to return home to reunite, visit, and encourage their grandmother to live happily, healthily, and long with her children and grandchildren, showing their filial piety to their parents. These warm family meals hold invaluable meaning in terms of filial piety, harmony, loyalty, unity, and mutual support through love and respect.

To create a warm family atmosphere and provide an opportunity for family members to rest and relax after busy workdays, Mr. Le Duc Luc's family (Hung Tien, Nam Dan) organized a trip together. His three children live in different places – one in Nam Dan, one in Vinh City, and one as far away as Dien Chau – but they still managed to reunite and enjoy warm days together at Cua Lo beach. Ms. Le Thi Tham (daughter of Mr. Luc) said: “Our parents have worked hard their whole lives to raise us. Now that we each have stable financial conditions, we always want to give our parents relaxing and warm holidays with their children and grandchildren. Everyone is busy with work, so we have agreed that on Vietnamese Family Day each year, we must arrange our own schedules to dedicate ourselves entirely to our extended family. These family holidays will be sweet memories for everyone, fostering love and respect, and strengthening family bonds.”

Family meals, a seemingly simple and peaceful image, are becoming increasingly rare in modern life, as people rush into the whirlwind of work and study. But let's take a little time to return to the embrace of family, to gather around the dinner table, so that each of us can deeply feel the love and filial piety of children for their parents, the unwavering loyalty of husband and wife, the close bond of siblings, and to further understand that "there is always a place to return to, people to love – that is family."

Dinh Nguyet