Chúc Mừng Năm Mới -- Happy New Year!
I've surprised many Vietnamese with the phrase above... they don't expect me to break out with a full sentence in Vietnamese! I think I've even gotten the correct tones down for each word... impressive! :P
The Lunar New Year, or Tet, is the biggest holiday celebrated in Vietnam!
This year, Tet falls on January 23rd and the year, 2012, is the year of the dragon.
Places around the city have already started to close. Everyone heads to their hometown in the 'country' for the holiday. Tet is spent with family and is a very superstitious holiday. The first person to visit the home is in the New Year is very important, as that person's good luck and characteristics are believed to effect the family for the upcoming year.
As I drove through the city today, many people were sweeping their homes (inside and outside). I guess it's bad luck to sweep the floors during Tet, as it's like sweeping out the good fortune for the upcoming year.
Places around the city have already started to close. Everyone heads to their hometown in the 'country' for the holiday. Tet is spent with family and is a very superstitious holiday. The first person to visit the home is in the New Year is very important, as that person's good luck and characteristics are believed to effect the family for the upcoming year.
As I drove through the city today, many people were sweeping their homes (inside and outside). I guess it's bad luck to sweep the floors during Tet, as it's like sweeping out the good fortune for the upcoming year.
There are superstitions about luck due to the first animal to 'cry' in the New Year, wearing the color red, and having a tree with 'lucky money'.
I gave out 'lucky money' to people close to me... you're supposed to give crisp, new bills in red envelopes. I gave mine to people like Mr. Nhan, the two cleaners in our building, Phuong in the library, the little boy across the street from me, the three ladies at the tailor, and my fruit lady!
Some of us wore the traditional ao dai outfit to school the last day before the Tet break!
(Let me tell you... an ao dai is tight, it does not breathe, and it's not comfortable.)
Me, Sarah, Patrice.
The picture above (and another later of the three of us) is bad luck!! Apparently three people in a photo is NOT ok. Two people... four people... that's ok... but NOT three. Whoops!
We even wore them to the International School Saigon Pearl for Reading Buddies!
Phuong and I in the AIS library.
Sarah and I asked Phuong to get in a photo with us but she mentioned that three in a picture is bad luck... so we took turns doing it two at a time. :P
This was also Phuong's last day at AIS as my assistant in the library. I guess many Vietnamese move on and change jobs along with the change in lunar years. This way, she's able to stay with her family longer over the holiday.
Before
During
We made sure to make a trip to My Spa for a photo-op with the lovely My!
She always has the most beautiful ao dai on.
The picture above (and another later of the three of us) is bad luck!! Apparently three people in a photo is NOT ok. Two people... four people... that's ok... but NOT three. Whoops!
Sarah and I asked Phuong to get in a photo with us but she mentioned that three in a picture is bad luck... so we took turns doing it two at a time. :P
This was also Phuong's last day at AIS as my assistant in the library. I guess many Vietnamese move on and change jobs along with the change in lunar years. This way, she's able to stay with her family longer over the holiday.
She always has the most beautiful ao dai on.
...Aaaand then my motorbike ate my ao dai on the way to the post office. :( DOH!
Thanks for posting the pics on here, Stacia! I hope u have a wonderful holiday in Malaysia and Singapore! :)
ReplyDeletePhuong