Vietnamese people living abroad always feel very eager to be involved in Tet activities when they come back and visit their motherland.

They buy local fruit, candies, peach blossoms, hang around Nguyen Hue flower road, or shop around for ao dai's to wear for Tet.

Many people gathered around for Lunar New Year meetings in Ho Chi Minh City have returned to the country after over ten years abroad. Many of these people have to leave when Tet has not yet arrived, and that really makes them upset.

“I haven't had the chance to experience Tet in Saigon for so many years. I long to enjoy the festival and Tet spirit here in my hometown," Prof. Duong Nguyen Vu working at, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology & University of Natural Sciences cum Scientific Manager of European Aviation Research Centre, told Vnexpress.

He said that he has to travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Europe an average of 12 times per year. He always flies to France around Tet holiday and hasn't been able to enjoy celebrating Tet for a long time.

Prof. Duong Nguyen Vu (left) at meetings with other overseas Vietnamese. (Photo by Vu Le)

He said that before leaving, he often buys Chung cakes, jams, fruits, and apricot blossoms to bring to his home in France. He always gathers all his students who are living in France to welcome Tet.

“I feel happy when I see people preparing flower road on Nguyen Hue Street and when I mingle with the hustle and bustle of people on the streets preparing for Tet,” added Vu.

Nguyen Thi Quy lives in Australia and is returning home after 40 years. “I left Vietnam in 1972. I have missed dozens of Tet holiday's. Unfortunately, I left my Ao dai at home this year; I don’t know how I can find a new one which will fit me,” Quy shared,

“I really want to wear my Ao dai on Tet or for a wedding ceremony when I visit my relatives houses to send them regards. I think I need to find an Ao dai somewhere.”

Young ladies dressed in traditional ao dai on flower road

After living abroad for many years, Kim and her husband decided to return and settle down in their hometown in 2006. She always feels excited when Tet comes. Her memories about Tet when she was young have never faded away. For her, Tet spirit in Ho Chi Minh City, especially on Nguyen Hue street remains the same as it was despite how developed Saigon has become."

“There are very few Vietnamese living in Egypt. I still remember there were only 10 families gathered at the Vietnamese Embassy for Tet. We were very homesick,” said Kim.

For many overseas Vietnamese, the Tet spirit is very simple. It’s just the feeling of a family reunion, the noise of flower markets and overnight markets and the excitement of preparation for Tet and cooking Chung cakes.

Traditional features and practices of Tet are unforgettable to many Vietnamese people living abroad. They can be simple, warm, and sentimental. Many try to visit home even though they have to undergo a long journey. They return home hopeing to feel the spirit of Tet and relive some of their old memories.