I recall reading prior to coming here, an American author describing Tet (Vietnamese celebration of the Lunar New Year) as being like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years - and maybe July 4th, all rolled into one. It is certainly the huge celebration in Vietnam. This year it arrives on Monday the 23rd.
On many major roads we now see numerous kumquat trees for sale or loan. They look almost artificial with so many small orange fruit balls hanging on thickly leafed branches. They are available in sizes from 2 feet to 6 feet tall. No matter the size, they are delivered to your house or apartment on a motor bike. (Sorry no photo.) As well there are apricot (yellow blossoms) trees in blossom and peach (pink blossoms) trees for sale or loan.
If you cannot afford a tree or perhaps you have no room, there are branches with blossoms for sale (kind of like we Canadians sell Christmas trees that have been cut but will stay green for a few weeks.) The branches come in all sizes from two feet long to five feet with many smaller branches growing off the main branch. There are also a large variety of flowers available at temporary shops stocked only for these two weeks leading up to Tet.
One tradition at Tet is the giving of small gifts of money in (usually) red envelopes. These are given especially to children but also to those who serve you well. We will give a few to the security guards and receptionists in our apartment foyer. Then there are the year end bonuses. We are told that many companies provide the equivalent of one month's salary as the standard bonus.
Starting next Monday, most companies and stores will close for three days, and many will close for a week or even two. Since a huge number of people return to their home town for a few days at Tet, they need the travel time that a week or two of vacation provides.
You can understand that this is an interesting and busy time to walk shop in stores; to walk on sidewalks - the number of sidewalk venders has doubled or tripled; to observe the motorbikes carrying loads of flowers, branches and trees; and to wish people Chuc Mung Nam Moi (but you'd better get the tones right: down on Chuc, up on Mung, flat on Nam and up on Moi.)
Happy New Year!
On many major roads we now see numerous kumquat trees for sale or loan. They look almost artificial with so many small orange fruit balls hanging on thickly leafed branches. They are available in sizes from 2 feet to 6 feet tall. No matter the size, they are delivered to your house or apartment on a motor bike. (Sorry no photo.) As well there are apricot (yellow blossoms) trees in blossom and peach (pink blossoms) trees for sale or loan.
If you cannot afford a tree or perhaps you have no room, there are branches with blossoms for sale (kind of like we Canadians sell Christmas trees that have been cut but will stay green for a few weeks.) The branches come in all sizes from two feet long to five feet with many smaller branches growing off the main branch. There are also a large variety of flowers available at temporary shops stocked only for these two weeks leading up to Tet.
One tradition at Tet is the giving of small gifts of money in (usually) red envelopes. These are given especially to children but also to those who serve you well. We will give a few to the security guards and receptionists in our apartment foyer. Then there are the year end bonuses. We are told that many companies provide the equivalent of one month's salary as the standard bonus.
Starting next Monday, most companies and stores will close for three days, and many will close for a week or even two. Since a huge number of people return to their home town for a few days at Tet, they need the travel time that a week or two of vacation provides.
You can understand that this is an interesting and busy time to walk shop in stores; to walk on sidewalks - the number of sidewalk venders has doubled or tripled; to observe the motorbikes carrying loads of flowers, branches and trees; and to wish people Chuc Mung Nam Moi (but you'd better get the tones right: down on Chuc, up on Mung, flat on Nam and up on Moi.)
Happy New Year!
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