by Thu Trang

Spring is in the air. At every corner of the country, from cities to towns, workers and residents are hurrying up to complete all their work and duty, to successfully close up the old year and welcome the new.

Viet Nam is preparing for it’s tradition festival to mark the Lunar New Year falling next month.

As living standards improve each year, parties are not only becoming more common, but more extravagant.

Companies, universities and clubs, are getting ready to party. It is not only an event to wrap up old work and start new, but also a chance for people to meet each other and share their lives.

However, not every party brings joy as there can also be complications.

Đỗ Quốc Trung, a clerical worker in Hà Nội, said as a member of different groups and clubs, he had a number of parties to attend each year end.

“I even receive two or three invitations per day, and I do not want to refuse any of them because all of them have close connections with me, help me in my work and in my life, therefore it was very difficult for me to arrange time,” said Trung.

“The parties are organised in different restaurants which are quite far from each other.

“It often takes me at least 30 minutes to travel from one restaurant to another. The situation is even worse with serious traffic jams during the last days of the year,” he said.

Trung believes all of this can add up to an unhappy holiday.

The party often end when many men are drunk and it’s dangerous to drive home.

And problems also hit party organisers.

Bùi Hương Lan, communication officer of a private company in Hà Nội, said she always had headaches when organising year-end party.

“So many companies hold a party, they often fall on the same day creating difficulties for guests to attend,” said Lan.

Lan often has to ask several partner companies about their party plans to avoid doubling up when she holds her company’s party.

But it’s not all.

“A waste of food should also be mentioned,” said Lan.

Because the guests must attend too many continuous parties, they cannot enjoy all the ordered food. As the results, many times many dishes are untouched.

Nguyễn Phương Anh, a lecturer of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities under the Hà Nội National University, shared another view.

“At present, more and more people do not lack money to have meals at luxurious restaurants, but they should not forget year-end party in their own families,” she said.

A family’s year-end party not only served people’s demand for eating and drinking, but also had spiritual meaning, she said.

“During the party, family’s happiness can be doubled if a member has good working or studying results, or the family had a new member,” said Anh.

Since then, whatever they eat, love and good atmosphere in the family will stay the same.

“People should not be too absorbed in parties with partners, friends and colleagues, and forget about their families,” she said.

Eating and drinking in the old days helped people exist and reproduce working capacity. Nowadays, eating and drinking in general, and year-end parties in particular, are becoming a cultural factor, thus the party, especially family’s parties, helped members expressed their love to each other, said Anh.

“It’s a meal of family reunion,” she said.

It is obvious meeting each other when a year ends is a good thing, it is even a necessary event for everybody to review their year, things they have done successfully, things they have not completed, and since then, they have proper plan for the new year. But all parties should be held simply, joyfully with a nice, warm atmosphere, avoid wasting of time and money.

Do this and the new coming year will really be a happy one for every people and every family.   

In the cold weather with gentle rains of Hà Nội during last days of this lunar year, besides attending parties with friends, I believe that many people want to return for their year-end party at home. Afterall, home is where the heart is. — VNS