Vocabulary

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Video

 

 
 
 
 

Transcript

 
Happy Lunar New Year everyone!

Chúc mừng năm mới.

It’s only three days until the Vietnamese Lunar New Year which is also known as Tết, and I can feel the vibes in the air right now.

Since Tết is the most important holiday for Vietnamese people, I decided to do the Tết series where I can share with you guys what Tết is like in Vietnam, what Vietnamese people eat during Tết, how to make those delicious traditional food and what customs Vietnamese people follow.

And now let’s go with me to explore how Vietnamese people prepare for Tết.

Let’s go.

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Tết is the Vietnamese New Year which is based on the lunar calendar. It usually falls in late January and early or mid-February.

Since Tết is the biggest celebration for Vietnamese people, a lot of preparations need to be done, and these are the signs when you know Tết is coming.

You know Tết is coming when people start buying peach blossoms, yellow apricot trees or kumquat trees.

There’s an old Vietnamese saying that goes “One does not truly understand Tết until one has seen someone carrying six, 20-foot kumquat trees on the back of a Honda Win”.

Similar to pine trees for Christmas holiday in the West, Vietnamese also use many kinds of flowers and plants to decorate their house on this special occasion.

In the south, Vietnamese people place yellow apricot trees in their houses to wish for their prosperity, while in the north people usually buy peach blossoms or kumquat trees.

When you see the colorful flower blossoms, you know it’s Tết, the beginning of spring.

You know Tết is coming when everything is decorated with red and yellow.

Lucky colors for Vietnamese people are red and yellow; red means happiness, passion and good luck, while yellow means hope, royalty and power.

You can see from the lanterns, door couplets to paper cuttings and paintings, everything is in red and yellow.

2021 is the year of the ox so you’ll see red and yellow ox decors everywhere on the street.

You know Tết is coming when you see Vietnamese people rushing out to buy Tết candies and presents. A week prior to Tết, markets and streets are jam-packed with shoppers.

As the shops will be closed during Tết, everyone is busy buying decorations for their house, new clothes, food and especially candies and sunflower seeds. The common candies are candied fruits, sugared coconuts, kumquat jams and sugared apples.

For the first three days of Tết, you won’t see this chaos anymore because thousands of city residents will depart for the ancestral hometown in their provinces.

Almost every shop will be closed on new year’s eve and the first three days of Tết. So if you plan a trip to Vietnam remember to avoid those days.

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You know Tet is coming when you see the red envelopes. Vietnamese people give out lucky money in red envelopes to children and the seniors to wish them luck and good health.

The red envelopes are called lì xì. When i was a kid i was always so excited to get all the money. I guess this year, I have to give the lucky money to all children. Sometimes Tết can be so stressful for grown-ups.

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You know Tết is coming when people start making banh chung. Banh chung or sticky rice cake is an indispensable, culinary beauty of Tết. Bang chung consists of glutinous rice, mung bean and pork belly.

For Vietnamese people the process of making banh chung is the opportunity for families to come together. Sitting around the warm fire all members in a family tell one another the past stories and celebrate the New Year.

It is evidence of the Vietnamese loyalty and deep gratitude to ancestors. I will show you guys how to make banh chung in the next video so don’t forget to subscribe to be notified for the next episode of the Tet series.

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You know that is coming when people start celebrating the Kitchen God’s day a week before the actual Tết. According to the legend the kitchen gods will ride carps to heaven to deliver an annual report on the household’s activities to God.

Therefore it is a tradition to release lives carps into lakes or rivers to pray for good luck people also burn votive paper including hats robes boots and even votive money to send off to their ancestors.

My fellow Vietnamese friends, please don’t burn plastic and throw plastic bags in the river because it is not good for the environment and your health.

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You know Tết is coming when people start cleaning their houses. Vietnamese people believe cleaning their house before date can help them get rid of bad luck.

Besides cleaning their houses, people clean their vehicles, wash their bedding to be ready for the New Year. Vietnamese people also redecorate their altar to show respect to their ancestors.

If you’re Vietnamese these images might be familiar to you: every Asian kid’s nightmare when they have to clean their parents’ antique furniture.

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You know Tết is coming when people start buying new clothes. Vietnamese people love to shop for new clothes before Tết so that they can be at their best for the new year.

Kids will be wearing their new clothes or Vietnamese traditional clothes called ao dai during Tết. I personally love to shop for a new Áo dài. I love wearing ao dai so much and I can wear it every day.

So do you wear outside during Tết? Please leave it down in comments below.

Okay so that’s how Vietnamese people prepare for Tết. I hope you guys enjoy this video and I’ll see you guys in the next episodes of the Tết series. Bye.

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Questions

 
Tet Holiday, The New Year. The main idea or theme of this video is traditional Vietnamese cuisine (food). True or false?

Valentine’s Day. Is Tết celebrated on the 31st of December and the 1st of January?

Maslinitsa. During Tết, people buy and place a pine tree in their homes. Is this right or wrong? Are the plants in the celebration the same throughout Vietnam?

Carnival. Are the main colors of Tết gold and silver? What do the colors of Tết represent?

Easter Holiday. For the Tết feast, people eat roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. Is this correct or incorrect? Do they use knives and forks?

Arbor Day. Does everyone gather at city centers to celebrate Tết?

Mother’s Day. People have to work hard right before Tết. Yes or no?

Summer Vacation. Do people give and exchange gifts of toys and clothes?
 
 
 
Labor Day, International Workers’ Day. We celebrate New Year’s in my town, city, region and country. Yes or no? How do people celebrate New Year’s?

Halloween. Are there large, winter holiday markets and festivities?

Thanksgiving Daye. Do you have a favorite color?

Christmas. What might happen in the future?

New Years. What could or should people do?