Chuck Kuhn's Asia in Photos: Tet Vietnam

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Tet Vietnam

When: Mon, Jan 26th 8:00 am to Thu, Jan 29th 6:00 pmWhere: throughout Vietnam,
VN Holiday. Offices closed.
Click here …
... to learn more about TET customs in Vietnam.“Tet is the festival which epitomizes the identity of Vietnamese culture. Although the Lunar New Year is observed in all of East Asia influenced by Chinese civilisation, each country celebrates it in a way peculiar to that country by making it conform to its psyche and historico-geographical conditions. Many rites, festivities and practices of Vietnamese TET are quite distant variants of the Chinese model, and are even original creations which hark back to myths and legends of the pre-Chinese period which prevailed in an authentically Viet culture of the Bronze Age (first millenium B.C.) called the Red River Culture.”
... Symbols of TET in Vietnam.Kumquat trees about two or three feet tall are carefully selected and prominently displayed during Tet. To carefully choose a kumquat bush, the buyer must pay attention to the symmetrical shape, to the leaves and to the color and shape of the fruit. The bushes have been precisely pruned to display ripe deep orange fruits with smooth clear thin skin shining like little suns or gold coins on the first day of the lunar new year. Other fruits must still be green to ripen later. This represents the wish that wealth will come to you now and in the future. The leaves must be thick and dark green with some light green sprouts. The fruits represent the grandparents, the flowers represent parents, the buds represent children and the light green leaves represent grandchildren. The tree thus symbolizes many generations. Guests will caress the light green leaves about to sprout and compliment the discerning host who chose so carefully.
... for a list of Vietnamese and U.S. holidays
... to download Moon Menu, a small program to keep track of the phases of the moon.
... to learn about how the Lunar New Year is calculated from Ancient Worlds.
And here is a list of dates for future TET Lunar New Year’s day up to 2020.
Year of the…
Gregorian Calendar
Water Buffalo
Jan 26, 2009
Tiger
Feb 10, 2010
Cat
Feb 03, 2011
Dragon
Jan 23, 2012
Snake
Feb 10, 2013
Horse
Jan 31, 2014
Goat
Feb 19, 2015
Monkey
Feb 09, 2016
Rooster
Jan 28, 2017
Dog
Feb 16, 2018
Pig
Feb 05, 2019
Rat
Jan 25, 2020

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They say "

“I can’t say what made me fall in love with Vietnam - that a woman’s voice can drug you; that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain. Nothing like the filthy rain in London. They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that’s the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there’s a breeze. The river is beautiful. You could be forgiven for thinking there was no war; that the gunshots were fireworks; that only pleasure matters. A pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then, something happens, as you knew it would. And nothing can ever be the same again.”
― Graham Greene, The Quiet American

Tips on Travel to Vietnam

It's always warm in Southeast Asia apart from high mountains, so leave the heavy clothing at home. Cotton and breathable fabrics are always better than synthetics -- although cotton does wrinkle a lot when traveling! December through April is roughly the dry season in that region, although it can still rain a little. December is a good time to go in terms of temperature -- cooler than in the humid summertime. Either way, wearing more clothing (shirt sleeves and long pants) is always more respectful towards the Asian culture, especially when visiting temples and rural areas.