25/01/2020
”Hey! What is Tet? Why everyone mentioned about it when I said i will go to Vietnam this time? "
That's what my friend asked me by an early morning phone call and it's seem recall the beautiful time of my childhood!
Tet is "flower market", Tet is " Deep Cleaning", Tet is "breeding fish in water", Tet is " year-end shower", Tet is "firecracker", Tet is " fullhouse ", Tet is " altar with five type of fruit ", Tet is "big pot with Chung cake"...
Growing up in a transitional period of subsidiary and comodity economy, Tet in my memory is very special!
People working hard for whole year seem just for the Tet holiday, they will spend time to clean up, repaint their house and decorate with cherry blossom or kumquat tree, prepare a plate with five different kind of fruit (soursop, coconut, papaya, mango , fig- southern people with meaning "pray to have enough money to spend" and northern people just need five type of fruit as long as the altar full.
Like my post in afew day ago, Tet is start from 23rd of December with the "kitchen lord ceremony "( base on lunar calendar) until 30th ( the last day of year). Busy atmosphere will be what you're feeling during those day!
Children will have about 10 days to 16 days for the Tet holiday and what to do?
We will spend time with family to clean up our house, sitting with all family to make Chung cake, running around the village, waiting for pig bladder after pig slaughter in the hamlet. ( to blow as a balloon then use it as a ball in our football match). If a kid was given some money by their parents, we will go out to buy some firecrackers, events fireworks ( but not anymore since 1994 after the forbidden by government ).
Exciting moment is always the moment our parent take us to the market! Oh my god! So many people, so crowded, so many things to buy but have 6 things are important must to buy for Tet flavor to have fullhouse! (in traditional conception) and they are:
Thịt mỡ ,dưa hành, câu đối đỏ
Fat meat, pickleed welsh onion, red parallel sentences
Cây nêu tràng pháo bánh chưng xanh
Luna new year pole, firecracker, square glutinuos rice cake.
Without 6 things above, Tet seem incomplete to us!
Main tet holiday will start at 30th December to 3rd January ( lunar calendar)
On the last day of year, my mom will prepare some herbal and boil it up to have mix aroma for me and my dad to have "year end shower" as a ceremony to wipe out all dirty things of old year and refresh our mind for new year coming up.
The picture of the year end meal will engrave on every vietnamese people mind forever. With Vietnamese people, Tet is oppotunity to get home and sharing about how was each member in this years... mentioned about it will make all team who working in tourism or hospitality cry...
In short, Tet in Vietnam will be one of highlight experience you will have if you choose to visit our country in this occasion.
Welcome to Vietnam and welcome to Rosa Cruise!
- Teddy Duong -
(picture source from internet)
