Nguyen Long, VietnamTet, the Vietnamese New Year, is an occasion when family members working or studying all over the country come back together to their homes. It's also the tim
e when children merrily wear new clothes and are given "Lucky Money" to wish them on their birthday (Vietnamese people celebrate their birthdays to coincide with the beginning of each New Year). There is a lot of good food and jams such as ginger, peach and coconut jams to lure sweet-toothed children.
Tet is one of the most anticipated holidays of the year. As children become teenagers, however, things change for many of them.
Tet is celebrated over three days between January 21 and February 19 every year. The Vietnamese New Year will begin on January 29 this year. "I just like the days before
Tet,” said Nhu Quynh, "because that is the time when my mother and I prepare the food. My father and my brother clean the windows or do the decorations with peach blossoms.”
During the three days of festivities, according to Quynh, there is nothing interesting to do. Adults just sit together chatting about their plans for the next year over cups of beer or play cards. The youth, on the other hand, perfer outdoor activities.
On being asked whether traditional
Tet customs were still followed, Lam Vu, a resident of Ha Noi (the capital city of Vietnam) said: “It is very boring during
Tet. Some customs like opening the jam pot no longer exist. I used to be very excited about that on the first day of
Tet." Some decades ago, many activities were organized for people to participate in the New Year celebrations. With urbanization, some of these traditions have disappeared from big cities.
According to Trung Cuong, who is 17 years old and lives in Vietnam’s largest city, Ho Chi Minh, the situation there seems to be brighter. "Last year, the authorities organized a great buffet with specialities from three parts of Vietnam. The Dam Sen water park has partially fulfilled the need for a place for entertainment during Tet."
Hoang Le added that youth organizations had begun to realize the need for reviving traditional values. He said that he had attended folk games during
Tet right in front of Dinh Thong Nhat (Unification Palace), which is located In the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. Expressing a strong belief in the need to restore
Tet traditions, Le remarked with optimism that he was waiting for the day when
Tet would gain its own attraction among teenagers.
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