Spring Break
Traditional Vietnamese New Year
ISOSU
Issue date: 1/22/08 Section: Forum
Aside from peach flowers, we also decorate with tangerine trees. The more fruits there are on the tangerine tree, the more expensive its cost, because it is thought that more fruits bring more money to the family that buys the tree.
This thought leads many farmers to stick extra fruits from ugly tangerine trees to a bigger tangerine tree. Ugly tangerines cannot be sold anyway, but they still can be used to decorate other trees!
On New Year's Eve we hold a party outside of the house, then burn incense to pray and call our ancestors home. After midnight, we burn imitation money with the thought that our ancestors will receive it for the new year. This thought comes from the custom that children give money to their parents and grandparents to thank them. Although these ancestors have passed away, they are still alive in our minds. This attitude also educates young children to remember and be thankful of our parents and grandparents.
On the first day of the new year, parents give children a small amount of money (varying from $1 to $100) in a red envelope with the wish that the money will create good fortune and health for the children.
I used to keep this money very carefully; if I used it, I was afraid it would not create health or fortune for me.
When children grow up and are able to work, they give lots more money to their parents to pray for their health and success.
New Year's Day is the family day. We stay home and have meals together. We try not to use bad language or argue because it thought that the first day of the year brings the fortune for the whole year.
For the second day of the new year, we visit our relatives and best friends, and the third day is for visiting teachers. When we visit any family, the adult gives a small amount of money in a little red envelope to young children of that family. When I was a little child, I used to wish that many people would visit my family.
A very important thing to remember about Tet is "Xong Nha," the first visitor of the year custom. It is thought that the first visitor of the year brings luck to the family for the whole year. We would like to have a happy person visit us so they could bring good luck to us. But if your age does not match with the household owner's age, you should not be the first visitor to the family. If so, the family would blame you if they found unhappiness that year.
This thought leads many farmers to stick extra fruits from ugly tangerine trees to a bigger tangerine tree. Ugly tangerines cannot be sold anyway, but they still can be used to decorate other trees!
On New Year's Eve we hold a party outside of the house, then burn incense to pray and call our ancestors home. After midnight, we burn imitation money with the thought that our ancestors will receive it for the new year. This thought comes from the custom that children give money to their parents and grandparents to thank them. Although these ancestors have passed away, they are still alive in our minds. This attitude also educates young children to remember and be thankful of our parents and grandparents.
On the first day of the new year, parents give children a small amount of money (varying from $1 to $100) in a red envelope with the wish that the money will create good fortune and health for the children.
I used to keep this money very carefully; if I used it, I was afraid it would not create health or fortune for me.
When children grow up and are able to work, they give lots more money to their parents to pray for their health and success.
New Year's Day is the family day. We stay home and have meals together. We try not to use bad language or argue because it thought that the first day of the year brings the fortune for the whole year.
For the second day of the new year, we visit our relatives and best friends, and the third day is for visiting teachers. When we visit any family, the adult gives a small amount of money in a little red envelope to young children of that family. When I was a little child, I used to wish that many people would visit my family.
A very important thing to remember about Tet is "Xong Nha," the first visitor of the year custom. It is thought that the first visitor of the year brings luck to the family for the whole year. We would like to have a happy person visit us so they could bring good luck to us. But if your age does not match with the household owner's age, you should not be the first visitor to the family. If so, the family would blame you if they found unhappiness that year.
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