In Vietnam, "Tet" or Chinese Lunar New Year is the biggest and longest
holiday celebration of the year. For the weeks before, people shop
like mad, buying Tet gifts and offerings. The traffic and crowds are
unbelievable. They buy liquor, tangerines, cakes, nuts, dried fruit,
lucky money envelopes, trees, and branches. They also get haircuts,
buy new outfits, and get manicures. Many people ask you, "Can you feel
the Tet," meaning can you feel the spirit of the season and the
anticipation of the change to the New Year, the year of the Dog. Woof!
For Tet, people get a potted live Kumquat tree. The tree must be
uniform in shape, and contain green and ripe fruit, and flowers, to
represent three stages of life. Jenny and I were attracted to the
ugliest, most non-uniform tree, about 2 meters high! We got it out of
a field of trees near the Red River, and had a motorbike deliver it to
our house. It took five people to haul it up the stairs and into our
house. It was an event for the neighborhood, drawing many stares. The
tree and pot cost 400,000 Dong, or about $25. Locals also buy
blossoming branches and place them in their houses. In a way, the tree
is the equivalent of the Christmas tree, although it has different
meaning for the people.
Tet week begins with "Ong Tao" day, the 23rd of
the 12th month, corresponding to our January 22nd. Ong Tao is a
kitchen god, and is offered a meal, then sent on his way to the sky on
three fish. The meal is placed in front of the family altar, then the
family burns some fake money and a fancy paper suit for Ong Tao in an
area outside their door, usually on the sidewalk. My friend Hung's
family had quite a bonfire. Later, after the family eats the food that
Ong Tao suspiciously did not consume, the three fish are toted in a
bag or bucket to a lake or river and released for him to ride on.
The same day they prepared Banh Chung, large cakes of sticky rice
surrounding pork wrapped in banana leaves, and boiled for 12 hours.
The fun history of the cake can be read online: Google "Banh Chung."
We received several Banh Chung cakes throughout the week as gifts. The
Bang Chung is like the proverbial Fruit Cake, people give them twice
sometimes, but at least they are edible, unlike Fruit Cake in my
opinion.
Before, during, and after New Years Day, families have many special
meals, eating finer cuts of meat and other delicacies. In adapted
tradition, Jenny and I had three meals, I had a duck lunch with some
of my teacher's friends, and Jenny and I had some of her work people
over for two meals. We introduced the Vietnamese to String Mozarella
Cheese. They were truly amazed...like I said we adapted the tradition.
We don't know how to make Bang Chung!
On New Years Eve, the family rang in the New Year by going to the
temple to offer lucky money. We watched fireworks from the roof of
Hung's house. They have big fireworks shows over the larger lakes. We
stayed up until about 3 am with various visits to temples.
New Years Day starts early with each house preparing a large
breakfast. The first family to finish invites the nearby extended
family to join them for the meal. Then successively throughout the
day, people go from house to house eating the prepared meals. Small,
red paper envelopes of lucky money are traded, especially from adults
to children and grandparents. An envelope contains 10,000 to 50,000
Dong, or $1 to $3. A band of twelve of Hung's cousins, uncles, aunts,
nieces and nephews and I visited five houses in his neighborhood,
where his family lives. At mealtimes, we sit together in a circle on
the floor and eat the meal. Between mealtimes, we enter the house, sit
down and have beer or liquor, candy, tobacco in water pipes, and nuts.
Because I'm a novelty in the mix, I get asked these five questions at
every single house: Where are you from? How old are you? Do you have a
wife? Do you want a Vietnamese wife? Why are you not married, and yet
so old? After a while, it wears on you! I really feel like telling
people I am married, but I am strict on telling the truth no matter
what the social cost!
Later, on New Years day, Hung and I drove two hours by motorbike due
South to visit Hung's girlfriend's family in Nam Dinh province. We had
more meals and more house visits. After spending the night in Nam
Dinh, I started to feel a bit crazy and out of my element. I told Hung
to take me home. I needed freedom from the Five Questions, the use of
a normal toilet, to take a shower with hot pressurized water, and eat
something on flat plate with a fork.
Throughout the week people travel to visit houses of friends and
relatives. In the same manner, each visit consists of siting down,
drinking liquor, smoking, eating candy, and talking just a bit. Each
visit is short, only 15 minutes or so.
I am glad I came back for Tet, and that I stayed in Hanoi, but I
understand now why all my Expat friends took off to do Western things
like party down at resorts in Malaysia, or go shopping in Bangkok.
Chuc mung nam moi! (Best Wishes for the New Year!)
