Ethnic minority pupils in Nam Nhun celebrate the Lunar New Year early with “Warm Tet holidays in the mountainous areas”Speaking with reporters, Mr. Ngo Ngoc Bay, Principal of Nam Lu Ethnic Boarding Secondary School in Lao Cai province - who has spent many years working with pupils in the border area could not hide his emotion: This year, the school organized the Lunar New Year celebrations early. The pupils were very excited about experiential activities such as making chung cakes and having bonfires. Through these activities, the school hopes that pupils will not only have fun and to be entertained but also learn many useful things about the meaning of the traditional Lunar New Year. This contributes to preserving the national cultural identity, at the same time helping the children connect and understand each other better.
Having participated in traditional Tet (Lunar New Year) celebrations at school for many years, Ha Anh, an 8th grade pupil at Nam Lu Ethnic Boarding Secondary School, expressed her delight: “Every year, the school organizes a fair and experiential activities with booths, making chung cakes, cultural and artistic performances and folk games. Through each such occasion, we learn a lot of knowledge and experience, we also gain a deeper understanding and love for our national culture”.
At Trung Ly Ethnic Boarding Junior High School in Thanh Hoa province, Principal Nguyen Dieu Thuy shared: Tet holiday is a time when children get to wear new clothes. But for pupils in mountainous areas, perhaps due to many difficulties, so a warm and fulfilling Tet holiday remains a dream for many. With the desire to share and bring a warm Tet holiday to pupils in mountainous areas with difficult circumstances, the school cleaned the school and classrooms and began preparations to create a lively and joyful spring atmosphere for all pupils.
In order to help the pupils experience the joy of Tet holiday, the school slaughtered a pig and made chung cakes to hold a year-end party for the pupils before they returned home to celebrate Lunar New Year with their families. The children were all excited to participate; the younger ones observed, while the older ones joined in wrapping cakes. Although the chung cakes may not be perfectly square, but they hold a great deal of meaning and happiness for the pupils. This is how the school helps pupils inherit traditions and motivates them so they can have beautiful memories during their time as pupils.
Sharing in the joy, Luong Thi Mai, an 8th grade pupil, excitedly shared: This year’s Tet holiday is more meaningful for us because we get to study in better conditions and receive care from our teachers, just like our parents at home. We will never forget the memories we made celebrating Tet holiday together at school.
At the Tuy Duc Ethnic Boarding Secondary and High School in Lam Dong province, Principal Ban Van Thang shared: During the Lunar New Year of 2026, the school’s Youth Union organized a “Rice cooking competition and traditional ethnic dishes” for all classes. The children really enjoyed it and were very excited to participate.
From fragrant, sticky rice cooked in bamboo tubes over glowing charcoal to meticulously arranged traditional feasts, everything combined to create a feast of flavors and colors. When the campfire blazes, the bonds between teachers and pupils, between friends grow even stronger. Pupils in ethnic boarding and semi-boarding schools come from diverse ethnic backgrounds, each with its own traditional dish reflecting the unique cultural characteristics of that ethnic group. Therefore, through this activity, the pupils can gain a better understanding of the culinary culture of the ethnic groups in Vietnam.
The arrival of spring not only brings the joy of family reunions, but also provides motivation for ethnic minority pupils to enter the new semester with many dreams and hopes. Amidst joyful laughter and the vibrant colors of spring, the children’s love and trust in their school, teachers and the educational path ahead grow stronger./.
