Front-end development w/ Node.js

With a Node.js based REST service, is it okay to not use a front-end framework like React or Vue.js?

(Thu Jul 26 2018 00:00:00 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time))

React and Vue.js are very popular front-end application frameworks. One might think either one is the best and only way to develop the front end of an application. Lots of folks will tell you, use React because it's the best framework, while others are flocking to Vue.js because whatever. A few years ago The MEAN Stack (Mongo-Express-Node-Angular) was all the rage, and now The MERN Stack (Mongo-Express-React-Node) is taking its place. Is it therefore ridiculous folly to skip using any front end framework? Or to skip using one of the popular choices?