Tet is always regarded as the most important holiday in the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people. It is a time for family reunions, remembrance of ancestors, and rituals deeply rooted in cultural identity and spiritual meaning. In the collective memory of many generations, Tet is associated with families gathering together to clean and decorate their houses, make Banh chung (square glutinous rice cake), prepare the five-fruit trays, arrange year-end feasts, and await the sacred moment of New Year’s Eve. These practices have long served as vessels through which core values of family and tradition are preserved.
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Rather than replacing traditional red envelopes, digital lucky money helps sustain family connections in a modern context. |
Today, as digital technology continues to advance, the ways people prepare for and celebrate Tet have changed significantly. Alongside traditional Tet markets, online platforms have become increasingly vibrant, illustrating the coexistence of tradition and modern convenience. Instead of spending long hours navigating through crowded markets, people can now prepare for the holiday with just a few taps on their smartphones. From traditional foods and fruits to gifts for relatives and friends, shopping, payment, and home delivery can all be completed quickly and efficiently. While the atmosphere of Tet remains intact, it is experienced through new and more flexible forms suited to contemporary lifestyles.
Technology has also transformed travel during the Lunar New Year, a period marked by one of the largest annual movements of people. In the past, purchasing train or bus tickets often involved long queues and considerable inconvenience. Today, online booking platforms and electronic tickets have significantly eased this process. Combined with improvements in transport infrastructure and digital navigation tools, journeys home for Tet have become more manageable and predictable. Although physical distances still exist, many of the traditional obstacles to travel have been reduced, allowing family reunions at the start of the year to become more accessible for a wider segment of society.
Technology has also influenced how traditional culinary values are preserved and shared. Whereas the preparation of Tet dishes once relied mainly on family experience passed down orally, digital platforms now provide new avenues for learning and transmission. Through online recipes and instructional videos, younger generations can easily learn how to make Banh chung, prepare candied fruits, or cook traditional meals. Technology thus plays a dual role of preserving culinary knowledge while enabling those living far from home, or growing up in modern urban environments, to participate meaningfully in Tet traditions.
One of the most noticeable changes can be observed on New Year’s Eve. In earlier decades, television occupied a central role in shaping the festive atmosphere. Special New Year’s Eve broadcasts were considered an essential part of the celebration, with families gathering around the screen while waiting for the moment marking the transition into the New Year. This image has remained a familiar memory for many.
As smartphones and Internet access have become widespread, however, television’s once dominant role has gradually been shared. While watching New Year’s Eve programs remains common, many people now simultaneously send greetings, make video calls, and share images with relatives and friends who are far away. As a result, the atmosphere of Tet is no longer confined to the physical space of the family living room, but extends into the digital realm, where emotions and moments of togetherness are exchanged in new ways.
For those unable to return home during the holiday, this digital connectivity carries particular significance. Technology has reduced the impact of geographical distance, enabling families to maintain emotional bonds despite physical separation. A form of “digital reunion” has emerged, allowing family connections to be sustained through screens while preserving the essence of sharing and togetherness during the first days of the year.
Social media platforms have further expanded the cultural space of Tet. Each holiday season, online platforms become sites of vibrant interaction, where users share images, videos, and reflections on their New Year experiences. Through these digital exchanges, Tet is no longer limited to individual households or local communities, but becomes a broader cultural and social phenomenon with wide-reaching resonance.
The Internet has also enabled images of lion dances, red lucky money envelopes, traditional meals, and spring celebrations in major cities to spread rapidly beyond national borders. In this expanded digital space, the Lunar New Year increasingly takes on a global dimension, where Vietnamese cultural values are introduced, shared, and recognized through contemporary channels.
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Young people experience making Banh chung |
Despite these changes, the core values of Tet remain firmly intact. Family reunion, ancestor worship, the exchange of lucky money, and intergenerational bonding continue to be upheld, though often expressed in updated forms. The emergence of digital lucky money, for example, allows greetings and monetary gifts to be sent instantly to relatives living far away. Rather than replacing traditional red envelopes, this practice complements them, helping sustain family connections in a modern context.
Most importantly, rituals imbued with spiritual meaning, such as honoring ancestors and dedicating time to family during the early days of the year, continue to be maintained. While outward forms may evolve, the cultural essence and emotional significance of Tet show no signs of fading. Instead, technology increasingly serves as a supportive tool, enabling these values to adapt, endure, and reach wider audiences.
In the digital age, celebrating Tet is no longer a matter of choosing between tradition and modernity. The two now coexist and reinforce one another. Technology offers convenience and connection, while tradition provides continuity and spiritual depth. It is this balance that allows Tet to remain vibrant, meaningful, and deeply rooted in Vietnamese life as time moves forward.
Translated by Tran Hoai