Tet Holiday in Vietname

TET HOLIDAY IN VIETNAM

The weather becomes warmer; buds and shoots burst; and the swallows glide in the blue sky. All of them signify that spring is arriving. When spring arrives, Tet also comes. Tet, in short for Tet Nguyen Dan, takes place mainly for three days. It is the time for families to reunite and welcome a new coming year with good health, lucks and success. Therefore, in Vietnam, Tet is the biggest and the most important festival that is enjoyed by both children and adults.

Vietnamese spend almost half of a month preparing for Tet holiday because it requires many steps. In this occasion, there is a need for an extremely huge amount of goods. People go to the market to buy food and drink, such as sweets, melon seeds, beer and soft drink to offer their guests. Children are the most eager as their parents will buy them new clothes. In addition to going shopping, people get together to spring-clean and decorate their houses and neighborhoods. Everything must be clean and new in order to get the best lucks. Streets are adorned with colorful flowers, national flags, and banners reading “Happy New Year” after people clear bushes and collect garbage. Meanwhile, in every house, family members clean all the dirt, spider webs and wash all clothing, blanket and pillow. These days, houses are perfectly beautiful with flash lights, red parallels, branches of peach blossom and kumquat trees. Then, people begin to prepare foods for Tet holiday. A lot of delicious dishes are cooked since it is believed that on the three days of Tet, everyone must be full. Among them, traditional foods like pickled onion, frozen meat, spring rolls and Chung cake (sticky rice cake with the stuffing made of pork and green been) are the best ones.

In the last day of the previous year, people become excited as they feel that the New Year is very near to them. When Tet comes, people all return home despite how far they are away from home. On New Year Eve, members of the family get together...