Traditional New Year no longer attracts teens in Vietnam

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam – The Vietnamese New Year, known as Tet, is an occasion when family members working or studying all over the country come back together to their homes. It is celebrated over three days between January 21 and February 19 every year.

Children wear new clothes and are given "lucky money" to wish them on their birthday. (Vietnamese people celebrate their birthdays to coincide with the beginning of each New Year.) There is a lot of food and jams made of ginger, peach and coconut.

Some decades ago, many activities were organized for people to participate in the New Year celebrations. With urbanization, some of these traditions have disappeared from big cities.
“It is very boring during Tet. Some customs like opening the jam pot no longer exist. I used to be very excited about that on the first day of Tet," said Lam Vu, who lives in Vietnam's capital Ha Noi.

According to Nhu Quynh, there is nothing interesting to do during the three days of festivities. Adults just sit together chatting about their plans for the next year over cups of beer or play cards. The youth, on the other hand, prefer outdoor activities. "I just like the days before Tet,” said Quynh, "because that is the time when my mother and I prepare the food. My father and my brother clean the windows or do the decorations with peach blossoms.”
                    
According to Trung Cuong, who is 17 years old and lives in Vietnam’s largest city, Ho Chi Minh, the situation there seems to be brighter. "Last year, the authorities organized a great buffet with specialities from three parts of Vietnam. The Dam Sen water park has partially fulfilled the need for a place for entertainment during Tet."

Hoang Le added that youth organizations had begun to realize the need for reviving traditional values. He said that he had attended folk games during Tet in front of Dinh Thong Nhat (Unification Palace), which is located in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. Stressing the need to restore Tet traditions, Le said that he was waiting for the day when the New Year celebrations would become more popular among teenagers.