How Technology Has Changed the Way Vietnamese Families Celebrate Tet

Ten years ago, preparing for Tet meant weeks of visiting relatives in person, hand-writing New Year cards, and queuing for hours at the market to buy the right ingredients. Today, an enormous amount of that preparation has been replaced by a single smartphone screen.

Traditional New Year greetings, which used to be delivered face to face or through paper cards, are now sent as animated stickers on Zalo and Facebook Messenger within seconds. Lucky money, once handed over in red envelopes at family gatherings, is increasingly being transferred instantly through banking apps, even between grandparents and grandchildren living in different cities.

Even the way people wish each other well has been affected. Instead of visiting ten different relatives across a single afternoon, a quick voice message or video call is now considered a perfectly acceptable substitute — something that would have been seen as impolite only a decade ago.

The more convenient these digital tools become, the less some older generations feel that Tet still carries its original meaning. Many elderly relatives argue that a lucky-money envelope handed over by hand feels far more sincere than money simply being received through a notification on a phone screen. Younger people, on the other hand, insist that being connected online with family members who cannot travel home is far better than not being reached at all.

Interestingly, some traditions have been strengthened rather than weakened by technology. Family reunion photos, which were once printed and framed, are now shared instantly in group chats, allowing relatives working overseas to feel included in the celebration the moment it happens rather than weeks later.

Whether these changes are ultimately seen as progress or loss, one thing is certain: the more Vietnam’s economy grows, the more deeply technology will continue to be woven into even its oldest and most cherished traditions.

Grammar Structure (Phân tích ngữ pháp)

• Passive Voice: Ví dụ trong bài: “an enormous amount of that preparation has been replaced by a single smartphone screen”.
• So sánh kép (The more..., the more/less...): Ví dụ: “The more convenient these digital tools become, the less some older generations feel that Tet still carries its original meaning”.
• Passive Voice (thì tiếp diễn): Ví dụ: “Lucky money… is increasingly being transferred instantly through banking apps”.