Lunar New Year (Tet)
There is no more colorful time to be in Vietnam than during the days leading up to Tet Nguyen Dan, the most important festival of the year for Viet Nam's Kinh ethnic majority. Since the first days of lunar year are thought to set the tone for the next 12 months, everyone strives to plan a perfect Tet.
In Hanoi, the narrow lanes of the Old Quarter buzz with activity. Everyone is in a rush to get a haircut, buy new clothes, spruce up their homes, visit friends, settle outstanding debts, and stock up on traditional Tet delicacies. Businesses hang festive red banners which read" Chuc mung nam moi " (Happy New year) and city streets are festooned with colored lights. Stalls spring up allover town to sell mut (candied fruits and jams), traditional cakes, and fresh fruit and flowers.
Certain markets sell nothing but cone- shaped kumquat bushes. Others sell flowering peach trees, symbols of life and good fortune which people bring in to celebrate the coming of spring. As vendors pour into the city with peach trees strapped to their bicycles, the streets look like moving pink forests.
In the south, people bring yellow Mai (apricot) branches into their homes and place a coconut, a papaya, a mango and a custard apple on the family altar. Spoken in the southern dialect, the names of these fruit form a prayer for success and fulfillment.
Three crucial meetings are said to take place on Tet. The first is between three family deities: Tien su, the deity responsible for introducing the family to its traditional career; Tho Cong, who oversees the land where the family lives; and Tao Quan, the Kitchen God, who cares for the family's food.
The second meeting rakes place between the dead and the living. People place offerings of food and drinks on their ancestral altars, light incense, and invite their ancestors to join the family's Tet celebrations The third meeting involves the immediate family. On New Year's Eve, family members gather for a dinner of traditional foods like banh chung (a square cake made of sticky rice stuffed with beans and pork) and xoi gac (orange sticky rice ). This is followed by a visit to the local pagoda and perhaps an outing to see the town's fireworks.
Mid Autumn
Every year when Lunar August comes, Vietnamese children are eagerly looking for the Mid-autumn festival which falls on the 15th day. They enthusiasti cally wait the presentation of toys and enjoy the Mid-autumn feast in the moon light, watching lion dances, lantern processions and ther amusements.
As the legend says, on one evening of the 15th day of lunar August, a male fairy invited the King to the moon.
The scenery was very magnificent and there were beautiful fairies dancing. While the King was passionately watching the scenery, the fairy took him back to the earth. Since then, the King always thought of the moon with its luring landscape and his wonderful moments there.
To celebrate that day he decided to organize the Mid-Auturrm Festival. At the festival, people usually drink wine, watch the moon, hence the Mid-Autumn is also called the Moon Watching Festival. Gradually, the Mid-Autumn festival has become a festival for the children. Right from the beginning of lunar August, everyone excitedly prepares for the Mid-Auturrm Festival. Various kinds of toys, such as starshaped lanterns, Chinese lanterns, Japanese lanterns and folded lanterns, which are made from bamboo, wood and coloured paper, are sold everywhere, especially on Hang Ma streets in Hanoi and the toy shops. Two special cakes of the Mid-Autumn FestivalBanh deo (sticky rice dumplings) and Banh nuong (grilled moon cake) are produced in large quantity. They are a must on the food tray for moon watching, among such fruits as custard apple, bananas, grapefruit, guava and persimmon, and a plate of green sticky rice flakes. In particular, there are also As the legend says, on one evening of the 15th day of lunar August, a male fairy invited the King to the moon. The scenery was very magnificent and there were beautiful fairies dancing. While the King was assionately watching the scenery, the fairy took him back to the earth. Since then, the King always thought of the moon with its luring landscape and his wonderful moments there. To celebrate that day he decided to organize the Mid-Auturrm Festival. At the festival, people usually drink wine, watch the moon, hence the Mid-Autumn is also called the Moon Watching Festival.
Gradually, the Mid-Autumn Festival has become a festival for the children. Right from the beginning of lunar August, everyone excitedly prepares for the Mid-Auturrm Festival. Various kinds of toys, such as starshaped lanterns, Chinese lanterns, Japanese lanterns and folded lanterns, which are made from bamboo, wood and coloured paper, are sold everywhere, especially on Hang Ma streets in Hanoi and the toy shops.
Two special cakes of the Mid-Autumn FestivalBanh deo (sticky rice dumplings) and Banh nuong (grilled moon cake) are produced in large quantity.
They are a must on the food tray for moon watching, among such fruits as custard apple, bananas, grapefruit, guava and persimmon, and a plate of green sticky rice flakes. In particular, there are also flowers and animals made from the sections of grapefruit, which make the tray more attractive.
The banh nuong and banh deo of Hanoi are considered the most delicious cakes for the festival. Hang Duong and Hang Buom streets have quite a few families with a tradition of making these cakes. Walking along these streets on this occasion, visitors will see the bakers standing behind rows of tables to make the dumplings. Under their skilful hands delicious cakes in different sizes and shapes are produced. Banh nuong has a brown cover because it is made from wheat flour paste, which is put into a mouldy after it is stuffed with dry preserved squash, pork fat soaked in sugar, lotus seeds, pumpkin seeds, fried groundnuts or salted eggs, green bean powder, roasted chicken, pork and pork sausage.
Before the cake is grilled, its e cover is painted with egg yolk. Unlike banh nuong, banh deo is made from roasted sticky rice powder. The powder is added water and sugar to become a paste. Then it is stuffed and put into a mould. Coming out of the mould the cake is ready to be served.
At the Mid-Autumn Festival, children like to perform lion dances which also draw the adults' attention. The lantern processions are no less attractive. Through the colourful cellophane papers, the light from the lighted candles inside the lanterns make the moonlight more fascinating. The festisval will be more joyful with the song "Marching with the star-shaped lantern" sung by the children.
There is no more colorful time to be in Vietnam than during the days leading up to Tet Nguyen Dan, the most important festival of the year for Viet Nam's Kinh ethnic majority. Since the first days of lunar year are thought to set the tone for the next 12 months, everyone strives to plan a perfect Tet.
In Hanoi, the narrow lanes of the Old Quarter buzz with activity. Everyone is in a rush to get a haircut, buy new clothes, spruce up their homes, visit friends, settle outstanding debts, and stock up on traditional Tet delicacies. Businesses hang festive red banners which read" Chuc mung nam moi " (Happy New year) and city streets are festooned with colored lights. Stalls spring up allover town to sell mut (candied fruits and jams), traditional cakes, and fresh fruit and flowers.
Certain markets sell nothing but cone- shaped kumquat bushes. Others sell flowering peach trees, symbols of life and good fortune which people bring in to celebrate the coming of spring. As vendors pour into the city with peach trees strapped to their bicycles, the streets look like moving pink forests.
In the south, people bring yellow Mai (apricot) branches into their homes and place a coconut, a papaya, a mango and a custard apple on the family altar. Spoken in the southern dialect, the names of these fruit form a prayer for success and fulfillment.
Three crucial meetings are said to take place on Tet. The first is between three family deities: Tien su, the deity responsible for introducing the family to its traditional career; Tho Cong, who oversees the land where the family lives; and Tao Quan, the Kitchen God, who cares for the family's food.
The second meeting rakes place between the dead and the living. People place offerings of food and drinks on their ancestral altars, light incense, and invite their ancestors to join the family's Tet celebrations The third meeting involves the immediate family. On New Year's Eve, family members gather for a dinner of traditional foods like banh chung (a square cake made of sticky rice stuffed with beans and pork) and xoi gac (orange sticky rice ). This is followed by a visit to the local pagoda and perhaps an outing to see the town's fireworks.
Mid Autumn
Every year when Lunar August comes, Vietnamese children are eagerly looking for the Mid-autumn festival which falls on the 15th day. They enthusiasti cally wait the presentation of toys and enjoy the Mid-autumn feast in the moon light, watching lion dances, lantern processions and ther amusements.
As the legend says, on one evening of the 15th day of lunar August, a male fairy invited the King to the moon.
The scenery was very magnificent and there were beautiful fairies dancing. While the King was passionately watching the scenery, the fairy took him back to the earth. Since then, the King always thought of the moon with its luring landscape and his wonderful moments there.
To celebrate that day he decided to organize the Mid-Auturrm Festival. At the festival, people usually drink wine, watch the moon, hence the Mid-Autumn is also called the Moon Watching Festival. Gradually, the Mid-Autumn festival has become a festival for the children. Right from the beginning of lunar August, everyone excitedly prepares for the Mid-Auturrm Festival. Various kinds of toys, such as starshaped lanterns, Chinese lanterns, Japanese lanterns and folded lanterns, which are made from bamboo, wood and coloured paper, are sold everywhere, especially on Hang Ma streets in Hanoi and the toy shops. Two special cakes of the Mid-Autumn FestivalBanh deo (sticky rice dumplings) and Banh nuong (grilled moon cake) are produced in large quantity. They are a must on the food tray for moon watching, among such fruits as custard apple, bananas, grapefruit, guava and persimmon, and a plate of green sticky rice flakes. In particular, there are also As the legend says, on one evening of the 15th day of lunar August, a male fairy invited the King to the moon. The scenery was very magnificent and there were beautiful fairies dancing. While the King was assionately watching the scenery, the fairy took him back to the earth. Since then, the King always thought of the moon with its luring landscape and his wonderful moments there. To celebrate that day he decided to organize the Mid-Auturrm Festival. At the festival, people usually drink wine, watch the moon, hence the Mid-Autumn is also called the Moon Watching Festival.
Gradually, the Mid-Autumn Festival has become a festival for the children. Right from the beginning of lunar August, everyone excitedly prepares for the Mid-Auturrm Festival. Various kinds of toys, such as starshaped lanterns, Chinese lanterns, Japanese lanterns and folded lanterns, which are made from bamboo, wood and coloured paper, are sold everywhere, especially on Hang Ma streets in Hanoi and the toy shops.
Two special cakes of the Mid-Autumn FestivalBanh deo (sticky rice dumplings) and Banh nuong (grilled moon cake) are produced in large quantity.
They are a must on the food tray for moon watching, among such fruits as custard apple, bananas, grapefruit, guava and persimmon, and a plate of green sticky rice flakes. In particular, there are also flowers and animals made from the sections of grapefruit, which make the tray more attractive.
The banh nuong and banh deo of Hanoi are considered the most delicious cakes for the festival. Hang Duong and Hang Buom streets have quite a few families with a tradition of making these cakes. Walking along these streets on this occasion, visitors will see the bakers standing behind rows of tables to make the dumplings. Under their skilful hands delicious cakes in different sizes and shapes are produced. Banh nuong has a brown cover because it is made from wheat flour paste, which is put into a mouldy after it is stuffed with dry preserved squash, pork fat soaked in sugar, lotus seeds, pumpkin seeds, fried groundnuts or salted eggs, green bean powder, roasted chicken, pork and pork sausage.
Before the cake is grilled, its e cover is painted with egg yolk. Unlike banh nuong, banh deo is made from roasted sticky rice powder. The powder is added water and sugar to become a paste. Then it is stuffed and put into a mould. Coming out of the mould the cake is ready to be served.
At the Mid-Autumn Festival, children like to perform lion dances which also draw the adults' attention. The lantern processions are no less attractive. Through the colourful cellophane papers, the light from the lighted candles inside the lanterns make the moonlight more fascinating. The festisval will be more joyful with the song "Marching with the star-shaped lantern" sung by the children.
