Reporter: Hello Dieu Linh! First of all, on behalf of the Ams Wide Web editorial board, thank you very much for agreeing to participate in today's interview. To start, can you reveal the meaning behind the traditional Tet holiday in your own perspective?

Diệu Linh: To me, the meaning of the traditional Tet is simple, but it is an indispensable time of the year that brings me warm and blissful memories with relatives and friends. Every year when spring comes along with Tet, we are given the chance to gather and reunite with our loved ones. I get to go back to my hometown and visit my grandparents, cook a pot of Chung cake with my cousins, get together with my family to watch Tao Quan on New Year's Eve or go shopping with my father for new clothes. Tet every year leaves me with a lot of joy, happiness, warmth and countless precious memories with my loved ones.

Reporter: As an Amser from Secondary through High School, do you feel that the atmosphere in Ams on this year’s Tet is different from every year?

Diệu Linh: Yes, this year's Tet at Ams is the most special one for me because just a few days ago, I got to participate in the fruit tray decorating contest for my class and my faction. This is the first time in my 5 years of studying at Ams that I felt the Tet atmosphere so fully. Plus, I feel that the five-fruit trays from each faction were not only appealing but also extremely impressive!

Dieu Linh and her friend beaming on Sports Day held before the Lunar New Year

Reporter: Recently, there have been many opinions saying that “Vietnam should combine the Lunar New Year with the Solar one.” Can you share your thoughts on this suggestion?

Diệu Linh: I do not agree with this opinion. To me, Tet has always been a separate tradition, bearing the cultural personality and identity of the Vietnamese people. Lunar New Year is a very meaningful time of year for every Vietnamese. It is the time when families gather, embrace each other tenderly, share intimate meals together, enjoy the sound of fireworks on New Year's Eve, visit relatives and friends to wish them happy New Year and do so much more. Along with that, preserving and promoting the virtuous traditions of our ancestors is also extremely meaningful and necessary in today’s era of integration. Moreover, if Vietnam celebrates both Tet holidays, students like us will have more days off, right! (laughs)

Reporter: Lunar New Year is said to be an opportunity for us students to “harvest” lucky money. So, are you planning to use the lucky money this Tet for anything?

Diệu Linh: I plan to use a part of this lucky money to buy the items that I like so much during the year but have not had the opportunity to buy, or walking along the book street with friends, choosing good and meaningful books for a new year’s beginning works, too. As for the rest, I’ll save them in my journey of becoming a billionaire!

Dieu Linh (ight) taking a photo with the class's peach branch

Reporter: Can you share with us your upcoming plans and wishes to greet the Lunar New Year?

Diệu Linh: I hope that my loved ones and I myself will have a year full of joy and happiness. In the coming years, I want to experience more, and do things that I never dared or had the opportunity to do before. In this Lunar New Year, I want to set foot on new lands, learn new things and grow 5cm taller!

Reporter: Finally, we thank you once again for your sincere thoughts for today's interview. The Ams Wide Web Editorial Board would like to wish you all the best as you enter a new year. Hope you and your family will have a meaningful, happy and pleasant Tet.

On the occasion of the 2023 Lunar New Year of the Cat, the Ams Wide Web editorial board would like to send everyone the best and most sincere wishes. We wish all the teachers, staff and students of Hanoi - Amsterdam High School a new year full of happiness and luck ahead!

Translator: Phương Hạnh Thùy Dương - English 1 2225

Image: Self-provided