The Attachment of Social Expectation to Good Wishes and Its Influences on Vietnamese Greetings During the Tet Holiday

Abstract

Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, is a time for celebration, reunion, and expressing good wishes. This research explores how diverse interpretations of Tet wishes contribute to both the richness, positive and negative influences that may be caused during the Tet holiday. First, this study employed the (quantitative) content analysis and textual analysis (qualitative) of popular Tet songs (1953-2013) to examine their portrayal of good wishes and attachment of social expectations embedded in the lyrics. Second, semi-structured focus group interviews with Vietnamese (at least 18 years old) were also employed to understand their perspectives, perceptions, and experiences regarding giving and receiving expected/unexpected wishes. The results reveal the following key findings: First, while Tet wish themes like happiness, health, and peace remain constant, their underlying meanings shift over time. Second, the analysis of the Tet wishes from both song lyrics samples and focus group interviews indicate that the guidance of Tet wish is a one-sided focus on the sender's message construction, neglecting the receiver's response and feedback. The similarities in the guidance from song lyrics samples and focus group interviews also highlight the influence of songs in shaping Tet's wish-giving behaviors. Third, there are three key influences on Tet’s wishes: Individual characteristics (personality, age), relational factors (closeness), and context factors (stereotypes, expectations, rumors) that shape the content and interpretation of Tet's wishes. Tet's wish not only plays the role of greeting in general relationships, but it also conveys insightful meaning in close relationships. Fourth, the majority of participants (80%) reported receiving unexpected wishes, often driven by social expectations. In conclusion, this research shows insights into the complex dynamics of Tet wish communication in Vietnam from the lyrics to daily life, highlighting the interplay between culture, history, and social expectations. As created to connect people, good wishes or Tet's wishes may cause the "not good influences" to the receiver.