Journey to Peace Village

Hello Everyone from Viet Nam! Today is the first day of the New Year, called Tet here in Viet Nam. It is celebrated at the same time as the Chinese New Year and shares some of the customs with China. But there are many customs unique here.

I've had a fantastic Tet and have learned so much. Before the holiday even started, Tracy (my friend from the States and from TEFL school) and I went into the countryside to visit my student, Chien. She lives on a small farm about 50 miles outside of Hanoi. It was just an incredible experience. It is very difficult to reach, because it is only accessible by dirt roads. But it is worth it. Chien's family and neighbors are very friendly and hospitable. The scenery is absolutely beautiful. It's the authentic Vietnamese way of life!

Chien's mom had prepared a delicious meal that included many special foods that are eaten at Tet. One is Banh Chung, a kind of rice cake filled with egg or pork. It takes about 10 hours to make and is the centerpiece of the meal, kind of like turkey on Thanksgiving.

In fact Tet is kind of like Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's and Easter all combined! It welcomes the New Year and the start of spring. People gather with their families and give children "lucky money" in red envelopes. On New Year's Eve, people have parties, drink beer and champagne and go to fireworks shows or make their own! My friend Tracy, who's visiting from the States, and I attended three parties on New Year's! First we went to my student, Huy, and ate dinner with him. Then we went on to Huy's aunt's house. Finally, at home, the landlady had prepared a dinner for the tenants, myself, Tracy, and two Indian men who work for a steel company as engineers. Needless to say, I was stuffed!

For videos of this super Tet, go to:

http://www.youtube.com/user/maryecroy

Labels: TET, Viet Nam, Viet Nam and the West