TET NGUYEN DAN
The
Vietnamese New Year
Tet Nguyen Dan is the
most important celebration of Vietnamese culture. Translated to mean “the
first morning of the first day”, Tet (in short) is the Vietnamese version of
the Lunar New Year and can be considered an all in one festival. It
features aspects of the western Thanksgiving, New Year’s Day, Halloween and
Birthday. Many East Asian countries celebrate the Lunar New Year which
originated from China Vietnam
In a land where agriculture is still of great
importance to the livelihoods of many, Tet is a perfect way to celebrate the
union of nature, human, culture, the living and the dead. Through the
beliefs in the symbolic representation of plants to future happiness and
fortune; through the gifts and respect plants represent to ancestors and gods;
and through the foods meticulously prepared that brings families together in
gastronomic enjoyment – the rituals and celebrations of Tet is holistic, and
always mindful of the connection between humans and their natural and spiritual
world.
This year Tet begins on February 1 and according
to Vietnamese Zodiac, 2003 represents the year of the Goat. The actual
day of Tet is determined by the Lunar Calendar which counts approximately 355
days in a year, hence Tet usually falls between the western calendar months of
January or February.
Preparations for Tet
A week before Tet……
According to legend, seven days before Tet every
year, the Kitchen God returns to Heaven to report to the Jade Emperor on the
activities of each household and these report will determine the fate of each
household for the coming year. In preparation for the Kitchen God's
departure, families sometimes place cookies by the fireplace or altar to
sweeten the god’s journey in hope of a favorable report that would endow them
with fortune and happiness for the coming year.
Upon the departure of the Kitchen God, follows the week long period called “Tet
Nien” – (which literally means to extinguish the year). During this time,
people celebrate the end of schooling or work activities and many take the
opportunity to visit and clean the graves of relatives. Weeds are
cleared,incense is burnt and flowers and a fruit tray or Mam Ngu Gua are offered in remembrance and respect for the dead.
By now, the city streets are lined with vendors
selling an abundance of fresh fruits and flowers, and colorful decorative
paraphernalia. Exuberant shoppers bustle and jostle amidst calls for
sales and the familiar tunes of traditional Tet music. In nearly every
household, crucial purchases for Tet include the peach "hoa dao"
and kumquat plants. Each of these plants are carefully chosen by
discerning shoppers so that the flowers and fruits are prominently displayed,
vibrant in color, and remain healthy throughout the celebrations.
At home the cooking, decorating and cleaning for
Tet heightens. Since it is traditional that all cooking and housework are
avoided during the first three days of Tet, many spend Tet Nien preparing Tet
delicacies, preening and decorating the houses with symbolic plants such as cay neu, hoa dao andkumquat, and decorative red
banners called cau doi in preparation of
the arrival of the esteemed guests and relatives during the coming days of
celebrations.
The eve of Tet ……
The eve of Tet is filled with excitement and
anticipation of the New Year. As the clock strikes twelve, the Giao
Thua ceremony commences, marking the end of the previous year and the beginning
of a new one. At the Buddhist temples, bells ring and prayers are
chanted; while at home, families gather to usher in and congratulate each other
on the New Year and for turning a year older as Tet also represents a universal
birthday to all. Incense sticks are burnt and prayers are said to welcome
family ancestors to join in the feasting and celebration of Tet. In the
streets, the air is filled with shouts of cheers andpreviously the explosive sounds of firecrackers (now banned).
Tet and subsequent days…..
The first day of Tet is probably the most
exciting time of the holiday for both adults and children. It signifies a
new beginning, cleansing of past misfortunes and hopes for a brighter
future. Since it is believed that the actions that one takes on Tet is
consequential to how the rest of the year would unfold, adults and children alike
make an effort to be in a jovial mood and avoid negative actions and behaviors
towards fellow friends and relatives. Dressed in new attires, family
members unite to welcome the most important day of Vietnamese culture with the
first of many days of feasting and merry making to come. Children often
eagerly await for Mung Tuoi, a gift giving ritual when parents, grandparents or
relatives present gifts of Lixi or “lucky” money in traditional red packet and
offer words of wisdom or advice for the coming year.
Visiting relatives and friends is one of the key
activities during Tet. The order of visitations depends on your
blood relation and your status in society. The first morning of Tet is
usually celebrated amongst immediate family members including the husband’s
parents and with esteemed guests who are of respectable social status and whose
presence are believed to bring luck to the household. The second day of
Tet is generally dedicated to visiting the wife’s parents and extended
relatives. By the third day of Tet, people would visit the homes of
friends, bosses or colleagues. This is also the day when the
spirits of ancestors return to heaven and families would offer gifts of money
and luxury goods such as cars and clothing to their deceased relatives by
burning miniature paper versions. Many Buddhists also visit the temples
to pray for a safe and happy new year as well as to have their fortunes
predicted by the Xin Xam.
In past, the celebrations of Tet would last for one month, however with
economic development and the practicalities of modern daily living, Tet
celebrations now officially last for three days.
Symbolic meanings of Tet
plants
Cay Neu represents the New Year’s tree. It
consists of a bamboo stem that is stripped of its leaves except for ones on the
crown and is decorated with red paper or talismanic objects. The crown
apex is sometimes adorned with the Yin and Yang -- symbols of the two
principal forces of the universe. Sometimes a paper carp flag may be
placed instead. In Vietnamese legend, the carp was believed to be the
Kitchen God’s vehicle that took him to Heaven. Cay Neu is taken down
ceremonially on the seventh day of Tet.
Peach blossom are an essential symbolic and
decorative plant of all households during Tet. It is used to ward off
evil spirits during the Tet celebrations. The symbol of its power
originated because two legendary deities -- Tra and Uat Luy once lived on a
large peach tree in a village located East of the Soc
Son Mountain ,
in North Vietnam
The Kumquat plant symbolically
represents the many generations of a household. The fruits
aregrandparents, the flowers are parents, the buds are children, and the light
green leaves are children. It literally is a family tree! Kumquat
plants are often carefully selected for their symmetrical
leaves, color and shape of fruit.
Foods of Tet
The traditional Tet cuisine normally includes
pig’s trotters stewed with bamboo shoots, steamed glutinous rice, bitter gourd, stir fried almond,
papaya salad and mung bean pudding. Candied fruits snacks called Mut are also
served to guests. However different regions of Vietnam Vietnam
Recently, the desire for healthier eating and
living has also resulted in some families adopting a vegetarian version of Tet
cuisine. Innovative cooks have created vegetarian versions of the meaty
dishes such as “beef” wrapped in La Lot (long pepper) leaves and boiled “pork” pie using the beans
of soy and curd soybean (tofu).
Banh Chung
Banh Chung are glutinous
rice cakes wrapped in bamboo leaves and bound with flexible bamboo
fibers. Between rice are mung bean paste, pork fat and meat, pressed
between layers of glutinous rice. The square shape symbolizes
thankfulness of the Viet people to the great abundance of food on Earth
throughout the seasons.
Vietnamese New Year Customs
Phong tục là một phần
không thể thiếu trong đời sống văn hóa mỗi dân tộc. Nếu cuộc sống thường nhật
đầy tất bật không cho người ta nhiều thời gian để chú ý tới nó thì "đến
hẹn lại lên", mỗi độ xuân sang, những ước vọng, niềm tin về một khởi đầu
tốt đẹp, may mắn vào năm mới lại đưa mọi người tìm về với những phong tục tết
truyền thống.
1. Clean and decorate the home. (Làm sạch và trang trí ngôi
nhà.)
Homes are often cleaned and decorated before New Year's Eve.
Children are in charge of sweeping and scrubbing the floor. The kitchen needs
to be cleaned before the 23rd night of the last month. Usually, the head of the
household cleans the dust and ashes (from incense) from the ancestral altars.
It is a common belief that cleaning the house will get rid of the bad fortunes
associated with the old year. Some people would paint their house and decorate
with festive items.
Căn nhà thường được dọn dẹp và trang trí trước khi đêm giao
thừa. Trẻ em được phụ trách việc quét và lau chùi kỹ phần sàn nhà. Nhà bếp cần
được lau chùi trước đêm 23 tháng Chạp. Thông thường, chủ hộ gia đình làm sạch
bụi và tàn nhang (từ hương trầm) trên bàn thờ tổ tiên. Đó là một tín ngưỡng
chung rằng ngôi nhà sạch sẽ xua đi các vận xấu trong năm cũ. Một số người sơn
lại căn nhà và trang trí các vật dung cho lễ hội.
2. Literally means "getting new clothes" (Nghĩa đen là
"mặc quần áo mới")
This is often the most exciting part of the Vietnamese New Year
among children. Parents usually purchase new clothes and shoes for their
children a month prior to the New Year. However, children cannot wear their new
clothes until the first day of the New Year and onward. The best outfit is
always worn on the first day of the year.
Đây thường là phần thú vị nhất trong năm mới đối với trẻ con.
Phụ huynh thường mua quần áo và giày dép mới cho con cái họ một tháng trước
ngày năm mới. Tuy nhiên, bọn trẻ không thể mặc quần áo mới của chúng cho đến
ngày đầu tiên của năm mới trở đi. Bộ đẹp nhất luôn luôn được mặc vào ngày đầu
tiên của năm.
3. Farewell ceremony for the Kitchen Gods (Ong Tao) (Cúng tiễn
các vị thần bếp về trời (Ông Táo))
Seven days (the 23rd night of the last lunar month) prior to
Tet, each Vietnamese family offers a farewell ceremony for Ong Tao to go up to Heaven Palace
Bảy ngày (đêm 23 tháng Chạp âm lịch) trước Tết, mỗi gia đình
Việt Nam làm một lễ cúng tiễn Ông Táo về trời để đi đến Thiên đình. Nhiệm vụ
của ông là làm một báo cáo hàng năm cho Ngọc Hoàng về các vấn đề của gia đình
trong suốt cả năm.
4. Lunar New Year's Eve (Đêm giao thừa)
However, in a literal translation, it means "Passage from
the Old to the New Year". It is a common belief among Vietnamese people
that there are 12 Sacred Animals from the Zodiac taking turn monitoring and
controlling the affairs of the earth. Thus, Giao Thua (New Year's Eve)is the
moment of seeing the old chief (Dragon for 2000) end his ruling term and pass
his power to the new chief (Snake for 2001). Giao Thua is also the time for Ong
Tao (Kitchen God) to return to earth after making the report to the Jade
Emperor. Every single family should offer an open-air ceremony to welcome him
back to their kitchen.
Tuy nhiên, trong một bản dịch, nó có nghĩa là "Năm cũ qua
năm mới đến". Đó là một tín ngưỡng chung của người Việt Nam
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5. The Aura of the Earth (Người xông đất)
Giao Thua is the most sacred time of the year. Therefore, the
first houseguest to offer the first greeting is very important. If that
particular guest has a good aura (well respected, well educated, successful,
famous, etc.), then the family believes that they will receive luck and good
fortune throughout the year. The belief of Xong Dat still remains nowadays,
especially among families with businesses.
Giao Thừa là thời gian thiêng liêng nhất của năm. Vì vậy, vị
khách đến nhà đầu tiên là rất quan trọng. Nếu đó là người khách đặc biệt có ảnh
hưởng tốt (được tôn trọng, có học vị, thành công, nổi tiếng,...), gia đình đó
tin rằng họ sẽ có được được may mắn và vận mệnh tốt trong suốt cả năm. Tín
ngưỡng Xông Đất vẫn còn tồn tại đến ngày nay, đặc biệt là các gia đình có làm
ăn kinh doanh.
6. Apricot flowers and peach flowers (Hoa mai và hoa đào)
Flower buds and blossoms are the symbols for new beginning.
These two distinctive flowers are widely sold and purchased during Tet. Hoa Mai
are the yellow apricot flowers often seen in Southern Viet
Nam . Hoa Mai are more adaptable to the hot weather of southern
regions, thus, it is known as the primary flower in every home. Hoa Dao are the
warm pink of the peach blossoms that match well with the dry, cold weather from
the North. Tet is not Tet if there is no sight of Hoa Mai (south) or Hoa Dao
(north) in every home.
Chồi hoa và hoa là những biểu tượng cho sự khởi đầu mới. Hai
loại hoa đặc biệt được bán rộng rãi và mua trong thời gian Tết. Hoa Mai vàng
thường được thấy ở miền Nam Việt Nam Nam
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7. Giving away red envelopes (filled with lucky money) (Phát
phong bao màu đỏ (với tiền mừng tuổi))
This is a cultural practice that has been maintained for
generations. The red envelopes symbolize luck and wealth. It is very common to
see older people giving away sealed red envelopes to younger people.
Reciprocally, the older ones would return good advice and words of wisdom,
encouraging the younger ones to keep up with the schoolwork, live harmoniously
with others, and obey their parents.
This greeting ritual and Li Xi is also known as Mung Tuoi,
honoring the achievement of another year to one's life.
Đây là một nét văn hóa đã được duy trì qua nhiều thế hệ. Các
phong bao màu đỏ tượng trưng cho sự may mắn và giàu có. Việc người lớn tuổi cho
mừng tuổi đỏ cho những người trẻ hơn rất phổ biến. Bên cạnh đó, những người lớn
tuổi sẽ đưa ra những lời khuyên răng và chỉ bảo, khuyến khích những người trẻ
hơn theo đuổi việc học, sống vui vẻ với những người khác và vâng lời cha mẹ.
Phần chúc mừng năm mới và Lì Xì còn được gọi là Mừng Tuổi, ăn
mừng những thành tựu một năm qua của một người.
8. Making offers for the Ancestors (Thực hiện cúng tổ tiên)
This ceremony is held on the first day of the New Year before
noontime. The head of the household should perform the proper ritual (offering
food, wine, cakes, fruits, and burn incense) to invite the souls of the ancestors
to join the celebration with the family. This is the time families honor the
souls of their ancestors and present the welfare of the family.
Lễ này được tổ chức vào ngày đầu tiên của năm mới trước buổi
chiều. Chủ hộ gia đình cần thực hiện đúng các nghi thức (cúng thức ăn, rượu,
bánh, hoa quả và thắp hương) để mời linh hồn của tổ tiên tham gia buổi lễ cùng
với gia đình. Đây là thời gian các gia đình tưởng nhớ những linh hồn của tổ
tiên họ và thể hiện sự thịnh vượng của gia đình.
Vietnamese New Year Foods (Thức ăn trong ngày Tết của người Việt
Nam
One of the most traditional special foods for New Years (Tet) of
Vietnamese is Banh Chung or sticky rice cake. Banh Chung is made of sticky
rice, pork meat and green bean, every ingredient is wrapper inside a special
leaf which calls Dong. Making the Banh Chung requires care and precision in
every step. The rice and green bean has to be soaked in water for a day to make
it stickier. The pork meat is usually soaked with pepper for several hours.
Squaring off and tying the cakes with bamboo strings require skillful hands to
make it a perfect square.
Một trong những thức ăn truyền thống đặc biệt cho năm mới (Tết)
của người Việt Nam
Banh Chung is a must among other foods to be placed on the
ancestors' altars during Tet holiday. In the old time, one or two days before
Tet, every family prepares and cooks the Banh Chung around the warm fire. It is
also the time for parents to tell their children folklore stories. Nowadays,
families which live in villages still maitain making Banh Chung before New
Years but the people in the city does not. They don't have time and prefer to
go to the shop to buy it.
Bánh Chưng là một trong số các loại thực phẩm phải được đặt trên
bàn thờ của tổ tiên trong ngày Tết. Trong một hoặc hai ngày trước Tết, mỗi gia
đình chuẩn bị và nấu Bánh Chưng quanh bếp lửa. Đây cũng là thời gian cho cha mẹ
kể những câu chuyện dân gian cho con cái họ. Ngày nay, các gia đình sống trong
làng vẫn còn duy trì việc làm Bánh Chưng trước năm mới nhưng những người dân
thành phố thì không. Họ không có thời gian và thích đi đến cửa hàng để mua nó
hơn.
1 bài nói cũ mà mình từng viết, tự nhiên bi giờ nhớ ra lục lại,
ngắn ngắn ^^ Viết thì ít mà nói thì dài ơi là dài
Special occasion: Lunar New Year
Although there are many celebretions throughout the year, Tet or
Lunar New Year holiday is the most important celebration for Vietnamese people.
Tet is a festival which occurs in late January or early February. It's the time
for families to clean and decorate their homes, and enjoy special food such as
sticky rice cakes. Family members who live apart try to be together at Tet.
At the end of the year, at midnight, the Vietnamese celebrate
their New Year's Eve. At that time, everybody stays at home and takes part in
silent ceremonies. The whole family gathers around the ancestral altar. With
spring flowers around and incense smoke overhead, we remain deep in thought. We
think about our ancestors who fought to create and preserve our family
happiness and homeland. We think about our dear friends who are far away.
On the "Head Day" of the year as Vietnamese usually
call it, we pay visits to our relatives, wishing each other a Happy New Year.
We often go to pagodas to pray to Buddha that peace may reign among our
families and over their country. We never fail to bring home branches of fresh
plants as a "symbol of happiness". On the second day, people start
amusements and games which last for nearly a week.
There are also many other amusements such as cook-fights,
bird-fights, fish-fights, cards and chess, as well as regional folk dances:
unicorn dance, dragon dance or lion dance.
Althought some traditions of Tet are not any more, the meaning
of the Tet remains the same: to recall the Past and prepare for the Future.
Traditions
of Tet, the Vietnamese New Year
By Tung Nguyen
An
introduction to Tet, the Vietnamese New Year - Tet foods, flowers, fruits,
celebrations and gatherings.
Vietnamese
New Year is the most important Festival of the Vietnamese people. When Spring
arrives, all Vietnamese are thrilled by the advent of Tet. Wherever they may
be, they feel an immense nostalgia, wishing to come back to their homeland for
afamily reunion and a taste of the particular flavors of the Vietnamese
festivities.This scared Festival occurs sometime between late January or early February, depending on Lunar Calendar. Although officially a three-day affair, festivities may continue for a week or more with every effort made to indulge in eating, drinking, and enjoyable social activities. It is also a time for family reunions, and for paying respect to ancestors and the elders. Gifts of food are made to friends, neighbors and relatives in the days before Tet.
Above all, the Tet of the New Year is a time for meeting.
It is an opportunity for the household genies to meet, those who have helped
during the year, namely the Craft Creator, the Land Genie and the Kitchen God.
Tet is also an opportunity to invite and welcome deceased ancestors back for a
family reunion with their descendants to join the family's Tet celebrations.
Finally, Tet is a good opportunity for family members to meet. This custom has
become sacred and secular and, therefore, no matter where they are or whatever
the circumstances, family members find ways to come back to meet their loved
ones, gather for a dinner of traditional foods like bánh chung (a square cake
made of sticky rice stuffed with beans and pork), mang (a soup of boiled bamboo
shoots and flied pork) and xôi g?c (orange sticky rice). This is followed by a
visit to the local pagodas.Everyone is in a rush to get a haircut, buy new clothes, spruce up their homes, visit friends, settle outstanding debts, and stock up on traditional Tet delicacies. Businesses hang festive red banners which read "Chuc Mung Nam Moi" (Happy New Year) and city streets are festooned with colored lights. Stalls spring up all over town to sell mut (candied fruits and jams), traditional cakes, and fresh fruit and flowers. Certain markets sell nothing but cone-shaped kumquat bushes. Others sell flowering peach trees, symbols of life and good fortune which people bring into their homes to celebrate the coming of spring. As vendors pour into the City with peach trees strapped to their bicycles, the streets look like moving pink forests.
Fruits of
Tet: "Mam Ngu Qua"
The
"five-fruit tray" on the ancestral altar during the Tet Holidays
symbolizes the admiration and gratitude of the Vietnamese to Heaven and Earth
and their ancestors and demonstrates their aspiration for a life of plenty. The
five fruits represent the quintessence hope that Heaven and Earth bless humans.
It demonstrates a Vietnamese percept of life, "When taking fruit, you
should think of the grower".
Flowers of
Tet: Dao, Mai, Quat (the Peach, Apricot and Kumquat)
Coming to
Food
Specialties for TET
On the last
day of the old year, the preparation of food to offer to the ancestors is of
special significance. Dishes to offer to the ancestors differ in the Northern,
Central and Southern parts of the country, depending on their respective
weather conditions at the time and on different local agricultural products
available. What is common in all regions of the country during Tet holidays are
the varieties of soups, fried, boiled, or stewed dishes, meat, fish,
vegetable... The foods that the Vietnamese eat at Tet are varied and diverse,
but the people throughout the country all want to have the best and the most
beautiful looking food on this occasion to offer their ancestors and to treat their
friends and guests.
The Giao
Thua (New Year's Eve )
The Giao Thua
is the most sacred point of time, the passage from the old to the new year. It
is popularly believed that in Heaven there are twelve Highnesses in charge of
monitoring and controlling the affairs on earth, each of them taking charge of
one year. The giao thua is the moment of seeing off the old chieftain upon the
conclusion of his term and welcoming in the new one upon his assumption of
office. For this reason, every home makes offerings in the open air to pray for
a good new year.After the giao thua is the start of the New Year with many customs and practices, amusements and entertainment, all of a distinct Vietnamese folk culture. This is a holiday with a distinct traditional culture that is rich in national identity.
“Tet” holiday in Viet nam
By Nguyễn Bình Vĩ
Tết Nguyên Đán, more commonly
known by its shortened name Tết, is the most important and popular holiday and
festival in Vietnam
Tết is celebrated on the same day as
Chinese New Year though exceptions arise due to the one-hour time difference
between Hanoi and Beijing
Tết is also an occasion for pilgrims and
family reunions. During Tết, Vietnamese visit their relatives and temples,
forgetting about the troubles of the past year and hoping for a better upcoming
year. They consider Tết to be the first day of spring and the festival is often
called Hội xuân (spring festival).
Customs
Vietnamese people
usually return to their families during Tết. Some return to worship at the
family altar or visit the graves of their ancestors in their homeland. Although
Tết is a national holiday among all Vietnamese, each region and religion has
its own customs.
Tết in the three
Vietnamese regions can be divided into three periods, known as Tất Niên (Before
New Year’s Eve), Giao Thừa (New Year’s Eve), and Tân Niên (the New Year),
representing the preparation before Tết, the eve of Tết, and the days of and
following Tết, respectively. All of these customs are to celebrate Tết in Vietnam
Before
New Year’s Eve
This period begins
one or two weeks before the actual celebration. The general atmosphere leading
up to Tết is in the bustle of shopping, decorating the home, cooking
traditional Tết food and waiting for relatives to return home. People try to
pay off their debts in advance so that they can be debt-free on Tết. Parents
buy new clothes for their children so that the children can wear them when Tết
arrives. Because a lot of commercial activity will cease during the
celebrations, people try to stock up on supplies as much as possible.
In the days leading
up to Tết, the streets and markets are full of people. As the shops will be
closed during Tết, everyone is busy buying food, clothes, and decorations for
their house.
Vietnamese families
usually have a family altar, to pay respect to their ancestors. Vietnamese
families have a tray of five different fruits on their altar called “Ngũ
Quả”(five fruits type). During Tết the altar is thoroughly cleaned and new
offerings are placed there. Traditionally, the three kitchen guardians for each
house (Ông Táo) (Kitchen God), who report to the Jade Emperor about the events
in that house over the past year, return to heaven on the 23rd day of the
twelfth month by lunar calendar. Their departure is marked by a modest ceremony
where the family offers sacrifices for them to use on their journey.
In the days leading
up to Tết, each family cooks special holiday foods such as bánh chưng and bánh
dầy. Preparations for these foods are quite extensive. Family members often
take turns to keep watch on the fire overnight, telling each other stories
about Tết of past years.
The New
Year
The first day of Tết
is reserved for the nuclear family. Children receive a red envelope containing
money from their elders. This tradition is called mừng tuổi (happy new age) in
the north and lì xì in the south. Usually, children wear their new clothes and
give their elders the traditional Tết greetings before receiving the money.
Since the Vietnamese believe that the first visitor a family receives in the
year determines their fortune for the entire year, people never enter any house
on the first day without being invited first. The act of being the first person
to enter a house on Tết is called xông đất, xông nhà or đạp đất, which is one
of the most important rituals during Tết. According to Vietnamese tradition, if
good things come to the family on the first day of the lunar New Year, the
entire following year will also be full of blessings. Usually, a person of good
temper, morality and success will be the lucky sign for the host family and be
invited first into the house. However, just to be safe, the owner of the house
will leave the house a few minutes before midnight and come back just as the
clock strikes midnight to prevent anyone else entering the house first who
might potentially bring any unfortunate events in the new year to the
household.
Sweeping during Tết
is taboo or xui (unlucky), since it symbolizes sweeping the luck away. It is
also taboo for anyone who experienced a recent loss of a family member to visit
anyone else during Tết.
During subsequent
days, people visit relatives and friends. Traditionally but not strictly, the
second day of Tết is usually reserved for friends, while the third day is for
teachers, who command respect in Vietnam
Decorations
Traditionally, each
family displays “Cây nêu”, an artificial New Year Tree consisting of a bamboo
pole 5 to 6 m long. The top end is usually decorated with many objects,
depending on the locality, including good luck charms, origami fish, cactus
branches, etc.
At Tết every house is
usually decorated by hoa mai – Ochna integerrima (in the central and southern
parts of Vietnam ) or hoa đào
– peach flower (in the northern part of Vietnam
Vietnamese people
also decorate their homes with bonsai and flower plants such as chrysanthemum
(hoa cúc), marigold (vạn thọ) symbolizing longevity, mào gà in Southern Vietnam
and paperwhite flower (thủy tiên), lavender (viôlét), hoa bướm in Northern Vietnam . In the past, there was a tradition that
old people tried to make their paperwhite flowers blossom right the watch-night
time. They also hung up Dong Ho Paintings and thư pháp (calligraphy pictures).
Greetings
The traditional
greetings are “Chúc mừng năm mới” and “Cung chúc tân xuân” (Happy New Year).
People also wish each other prosperity and luck. Common wishes for Tết include:
• Sống lâu trăm tuổi (Live
up to 100 years): used by children for elders. Traditionally, everyone is one
year older on Tết, so children would wish their grandparents health and
longevity in exchange for mừng tuổi or lì xì
• An khang thịnh vượng (Security, good health, and prosperity)
• Vạn sự như ý (May a myriad things go according to your will)
• Sức khoẻ dồi dào (Plenty of health)
• Cung hỉ phát tài (Congratulations and be prosperous)
• Tiền vô như nước (May money flow in like water): used informally
• An khang thịnh vượng (Security, good health, and prosperity)
• Vạn sự như ý (May a myriad things go according to your will)
• Sức khoẻ dồi dào (Plenty of health)
• Cung hỉ phát tài (Congratulations and be prosperous)
• Tiền vô như nước (May money flow in like water): used informally
Food
In Vietnamese
language, to celebrate Tết is to ăn Tết, literally meaning “Tết eating”, showing
the importance of food in its celebration. Some of the food is also eaten
year-round, while other dishes are only eaten during Tết. Also, some of the
food is vegetarian since it is believed to be good luck to eat vegetarian on
Tết. Some traditional food on Tết are:
• “Bánh chưng” and “Bánh dầy”:
essentially tightly packed sticky rice with meat or bean fillings wrapped in
Dong (Phrynium placentarium) leaves. When this leaves is unavailable, banana
leaves can be used as a subtitute. Bánh chưng (rectangular) and bánh dầy
(circular) are symbolically connected with Tết and are essential in any Tết
celebration. Preparation is time-consuming, and can take days to cook. The
story of their origins and their connection with Tết is often recounted to
children while cooking them overnight.
• “Hạt Dưa”: roasted watermelon seeds, also eaten during Tết.
• “Dưa Hành”: pickled onion and pickled cabbage.
• “Củ Kiệu”: pickled small leeks.
• “Mứt”: These dried candied fruits are rarely eaten at any time besides Tết.
• “Cầu Dừa Đủ Xoài” – In southern Vietnam, popular fruits used for offerings at the family altar in fruit arranging art are the custard-apple/sugar-apple/soursop (mãng cầu), coconut (dừa), papaya (đu đủ), and mango (xoài), since they sound like “cầu vừa đủ xài” ([We] pray for enough [money] to spend) in the southern dialect of Vietnamese.
• “Thịt Kho Nước Dừa” Meaning “Meat Stewed in Coconut Juice”, it is a traditional dish of fatty pork stomach and medium boiled eggs stewed in a broth-like sauce made overnight of young coconut juice and nuoc mam. It is often eaten with pickled bean sprouts and chives, and white rice.
• “Hạt Dưa”: roasted watermelon seeds, also eaten during Tết.
• “Dưa Hành”: pickled onion and pickled cabbage.
• “Củ Kiệu”: pickled small leeks.
• “Mứt”: These dried candied fruits are rarely eaten at any time besides Tết.
• “Cầu Dừa Đủ Xoài” – In southern Vietnam, popular fruits used for offerings at the family altar in fruit arranging art are the custard-apple/sugar-apple/soursop (mãng cầu), coconut (dừa), papaya (đu đủ), and mango (xoài), since they sound like “cầu vừa đủ xài” ([We] pray for enough [money] to spend) in the southern dialect of Vietnamese.
• “Thịt Kho Nước Dừa” Meaning “Meat Stewed in Coconut Juice”, it is a traditional dish of fatty pork stomach and medium boiled eggs stewed in a broth-like sauce made overnight of young coconut juice and nuoc mam. It is often eaten with pickled bean sprouts and chives, and white rice.
Games
People are delighted
to enjoy exciting games during Tết: bầu cua, cờ tướng, ném còn, chọi trâu, đá
gà, marshmallow toss, etc…They also participate in some competitions presenting
their knowledge, strength and aestheticism such as: bird competition and ngâm
thơ competition.
People can also visit
fortune tellers, in temples and in the streets, to have their fortunes told.
You must know your zodiac sign and the star you were born under to have your
fortune read. Whether the fortunes are taken seriously depends entirely on the
person receiving the fortune and the reputation of the fortune teller.
Customs
and taboos
These customs come
from traditions passed from generation to generation and have become standard.
Because of the idea that the beginning will affect the middle and the end of
the year, Vietnamese people avoid doing bad things and try to do good things
during Tết holiday.
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ADMINISTRATION UNITS / Can Tho City
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Can Tho City
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Area: 1,401.6 sq. km
Population: 1,197.1 thousand habitants (2010). Administrative divisions: - Districts: Ninh Kieu, Binh Thuy, Cai Rang, Thot Not, O Mon - Rural districts: Phong Dien, Co Do, Vinh Thanh, Thoi Lai. Ethnic groups: Viet (Kinh), Khmer, Hoa, Cham... |
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Geography
Thank
to that Cantho becomes "the green lungs of the Mekong Delta".The
climate is harmonized with few of storms. It is hot, humid all year. Rainy
season lasts from May to November, and dry season lasts from December to
April. The annual average temperature is 27oC.
Tourism
Cantho
is over its 200 years as the main town, once known as Tay Do and now one city
of
Transportation Cantho is 34km from Vinh Long, 62km from Long Xuyen, 63km from Soc Trang, 104km from Mytho, 116km from Rach Gia, 117km from Chau Doc, 169km from Road: Cantho has National Highway No.1A, 91, 80 linking to An Giang, Kien Giang provinces. Waterway: Cantho has Cai Cui international seaport. The city is the centre of waterway network of Mekong Delta. There are daily hydrofoils between Airline: There is |
