Said Abdallah, a second-year student from Comoros (an island nation in Africa in the Indian Ocean), shared that celebrating Vietnam’s Lunar New Year was entirely new to him yet it quickly became an unforgettable experience.
“Beyond the festive colors and family warmth, what stayed with him most was a rare sense of calm, as the whole city seemed to slow down together.”
International students embracing the spirit of Vietnamese Lunar New Year.
To Said, Tết is the moment the city “puts on a new look”: streets glow with decorations, homes are refreshed for the new year, and people visit one another from house to house. These traditions create an atmosphere that is both lively and intimate, making the spirit of reunion and community unmistakable. For an international student experiencing Tết in Vietnam for the first time, Said said he was especially moved by how people prioritize time with family and loved ones as if Tết is not only a holiday, but a season of care and connection.
What surprised Said even more was the distinctive quiet of the Tết period. He noticed that many people travel less, or barely go out at all, leaving the city noticeably calmer – less traffic, less noise, and cleaner air like an “environmental winning day.”
If he were introducing Tết to newly arrived international students, Said’s advice would be simple: step out of your comfort zone, explore the city, and fully embrace this unique pace of life when everything slows down in a memorable way, and the air feels easier to breathe.
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