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In addition to an exciting experience, foreign visitors to
Vietnam this time of year will gain a better understanding of the country’s
traditions and culture by experiencing the Vietnamese people's preparations for
the upcoming lunar New Year (Tet) celebrations.
Ryan Benz, a visitor from Australia, says: “Traditional culture is what makes
Tet Holiday in Vietnam unique from others”.
Reading this article reminds me of the wonderful holiday that I had at the end
of last year. I’ve been to many countries and experienced different ways of
celebrating New Year; and I found they were not much different from my home
country, Australia, where people usually gather, party and drink.
However last year was different when I came to visit Vietnam. Words fail me to
express what I felt actually. It was just a totally new, refreshing and
surprising experience. I was in Hanoi at the time when the New Year was
approaching. I spent days walking along lovely old streets of Hanoi just to
enjoy watching people buying things, students buying new clothes, children with
great enjoyment shown on their cute faces getting new toys from their parents.
It was all busy and exciting. Supermarkets and stores were all jammed with
shoppers trying to get as much as they can to decorate their houses.
I was very lucky to be invited to a Vietnamese friend’s house and stayed there
during the holiday. The family was very hospitable and their heartwarming
welcome made me very comfortable. We went to Hoan Kiem Lake on the New Year’s
Eve to see the firework, and then came back to celebrate with his family. Hanoi
was so quite but amazingly warm in the next morning when my friend took me
around Hanoi on his motorbike visiting his friends and relatives. This
traditional culture is what makes Tet Holiday in Vietnam unique from others.
People always visit each other, giving friends and relatives the best wishes for
the New Year. And interestingly children always get what local people call
“lucky money”. My friend’s mum also gave me a small red envelop with some lucky
money in it and I was filled with a sense of surprise and happiness. That was a
real interesting experience for me. Being with this lovely country for only a
short period of time, but I did learn a lot. I learned a lot about the people
and the culture. I hope that I will come back one day to see how Vietnam
develops and give myself another chance to enjoy the ultimate excitement and
charm of Tet holiday in this country.
By the way, I want to send to everyone a wish of luck and happiness welcoming
the New Year with their beloved ones. May the Year of Dragon bring peace, hope
and prosperity to you all.
David Frank, a French tourist, says, “I am impressed by the busy shopping and
cozy atmosphere before Tet”
Following my friends’ suggestion, I pay a month-long visit to Vietnam where I am
traveling to different provinces and cities in all three regions of the country.
I moved from one place to another in both of Vietnam’s two major cities – Hanoi
and Ho Chi Minh City, however, I decided to celebrate the New Year in Hue – the
former capital city in central Vietnam.
I love Hue people, they're charming and hospitable. The traditional foods there
are so tasty and special I always eat too much and get very full!.
I already experienced Christmas in Vietnam when I spent time going out and being
with friends drinking rice wine and eating hotpot. We also had, hot chocolate
and cookies. It was really fun, and created a lot of good cheer and memories.
I’ve heard many things about special Vietnamese Tet traditions, particularly
"first-footing" and "lucky money." I hope to explore these traditions more in
Hue this year.
I would like to send my best very wishes to all the people in Vietnam during Tet.
Perri Black, a foreign editor for VOV, shares: “May the upcoming Year of the
Dragon bring peace and prosperity to all”
Tet is a very interesting time in Hanoi. The month or so before the actual New
Year's Day is a bit like the frantic month-long build up to the Christmas
holiday in the US.
People in Hanoi enthusiastically begin their Tet preparations on January 1,
after the Western New Year's Eve festivities the night before. Supermarkets and
shopping centers are jammed with all kinds of seasonal goodies in bright,
glittering packaging and shoppers gleefully sort through them to find just the
right things. The festive spirit is palpable and seems to permeate everything.
It's a great time to be in Hanoi and you can't help but get caught up in the
general excitement. The traffic increases alarmingly, which can be bit
unnerving, but people are always in a good mood and look forward to spending
time with family and friends. The restaurants are packed with partiers singing
along to Abba' 'Happy New Year' and the mass exodus out of the city a few days
before New Year is amazing!
It all comes to a grinding halt about 3pm on New Year's Eve and an eerie,
expectant quiet falls over the city as everyone awaits midnight, fireworks and
the beginning of the official holiday. In the days that follow the streets are
relatively quiet but pagodas and temples are mobbed. As a foreigner, you will
probably receive numerous invitations to visit friends' homes during the
holiday, and they are well worth accepting to enjoy the true spirit of Tet,
sample the traditional foods, and welcome in the New Year.
I want to wish everyone the best of luck in their Tet preparations and a safe
and happy holiday with their families. May the upcoming Year of the Dragon bring
peace and prosperity to all.
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