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| Many natives of Hai Duong and Quang Ninh provinces, the nation's COVID-19 hotspots are unable to return home for Tet celebration |
Many people have decided to stay in the capital where the epidemic situation still remains complicated, although when it comes to thinking about Tet they have only sad thoughts on their mind.
Nguyen Mai Huong, a native of the northern province of Hai Duong, the country's largest COVID-19 hotspot, arranges banh chung, square glutinous rice cake, on the shelf to prepare for a New Year's Eve meal. However, Huong sadly says, “Now every year, I am together with the whole family to make Chung cakes, with many small ones for children. This year, our family celebrate Tet in Hanoi so I can only buy ready-made cakes as offerings to ancestors.”
“There are many occasions from time to time to come back to our native land, but the traditional New Year still has another meaning of reunion. Anyway, I feel lucky because I get to spend time with my family and my children. Many of my relatives and friends live in the countryside, while others celebrate Tet at home. Indeed, many people have to welcome Tet in isolation areas. Not to mention soldiers, and doctors who have to be on duty round the clock. There is no Tet for them," Huong stated whilst pouring out her emotions.
Expressing the same feeling of nostalgia, Nguyen Tien Dang, a native of the northern province of Quang Ninh, another of the nation’s COVID-19 hotspots, shared that this will be the first time in 20 years that his family has not returned home to celebrate Tet, with his children feeling the saddest about the situation.
“Not coming back home for Tet this year is to keep the community safe from the raging pandemic so that it can return to normal soon next year and there will be many other occasions for Tet reunion in the years to come," he states.
Many people think that only when the COVID-19 pandemic is fully brought under control, will Tet be truly celebrated.
They are therefore fully aware that remaining put to celebrate Tet can be viewed as a means of contributing to reducing the pressure on COVID-19 prevention activities in their locality and where their families live.
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Ly Thi Hanh, a resident of Hai Ba Trung district in Hanoi, says, “In the face of the pandemic like now, pandemic containment efforts must be number one. A Tet is far from home but it is safe for the community in order to have a much warmer and more wonderful Tet in the years to come."
Whilst the Lunar New Year is an important occasion for family reunions, for many migrant workers the special occasion makes them keener to return home and be reunited with their families. With people based overseas having difficulties in returning home to celebrate Tet, this year has seen many people feel uneasy about going back to their hometown to celebrate Tet.
“Being away from home these days is really sad, but everyone should forget about Tet for a while. Only when everything return to normal with the pandemic being under control, we are able to enjoy a real lunar New Year Festival at that time," Hanh says.
It is the wish of every citizen to reunite with their families and relatives during Tet. Therefore, choosing to stay is definitely something that few people want to do, but in the context of complicated pandemic developments, those who choose to stay make a little sacrifice that ultimately helps reduce pressure in the fight against COVID-19.
