VIETNAM : Memories of Te^’t or Lunar New Year

The twenty fourth of January of the year 2001 is a special occasion for the Vietnamese because it is the first day of Tet or New Year's Day in the Lunar calendar, This year is the year of the snake. I always think of Tet with so much excitement, because it is the time when I could get a lot of money from the Tie^`n Li` Xi` , eat a lot of special foods, and almost never get into any troubles.

The money for Good Luck (Tie^`n Li` Xi`) usually come in small rectangular red envelopes, with gold letters and inside, we usually find brand new, fresh smelling and crisp piastre bills, the best part is that we could spend and buy anything we want with this money, without ever having to check with our parents. I remember clutching those bills in my hands and thinking of a thousand things I could buy with this gift.

Tet is the only time we could eat whatever we want on the display tables so long as we do not touch the foods until after the ancestral offering. Oh these special "Banh Chung, the square cakes, wrapped in a banana leaf, symbol of earth and heaven, are quite delicious. We love watching them being cooked in huge cylindrical barrels for at least twelve to fourteen hours. With pickled Cu? Kie^.u or Leeks, they always taste so much better.

Then there is the sweet smell of fresh fruits, the custard apples or ma?ng ca^`u, red papayas or ddu-ddu?, mangoes or xoa`i, watermelons or du?a ha^'u, and bananas or chuo^'i.

We also eat different types of candied fruits. I always find the candied ginger or mu?t gu?`ng and the candies coconut strips (mu?'t du?`a ) the best, the lotus seeds are also quite delectable. But I don't like the dried dates (tra'i cha`la`) as they are too sweet for my taste.

I love the house with its walls freshly painted, its floor cleanly swept and different rooms adorned with beautiful flowers everywhere. The red roses, pink carnations, white lilies, purple and white gladioli and in the main living room, a huge potted apricot tree with its delicate yellow blossoms, which supposedly, brings us good luck in the coming new year.

Tet is such a wonderful time for family and friends. Everyone has a chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday living.

It is a time for rest, for sharing and caring, a time for renewal, a time to wish your loved ones:

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic