Happy Lunar New Year!
Today is the first day this years Tet Festival in Vietnam. Tet Nguyen Dat means Festival of the Very First Morning, and it is the most important holiday in Vietnam. For many in Vietnam it is a time to return home to families and celebrate the upcoming new year together. This year on the Lunar calendar is called the Year of the Buffalo, and traditionally marks the beginning of Spring and renewal.
Typically the first day of Tet is spent with immediate family, the second day is for visiting friends, and the third day is dedicated to teachers and for visiting temples. Teaching is a very honored profession in Vietnamese culture and students are taught to have great respect for those who educate them. There are also many rules for behavior and courtesies taught at a young age during Tet. These may include appropriate clothing to wear during Tet, who enters the family home first when the Lunar New Year begins, and there are traditional foods prepared. Banh Chung (square sticky rice cake) is one that my friends in Can Tho have told me about, Mut (Candied fruit), Gio cha (Vietnamese sausage), but these are just a few examples.
Wherever someone may travel in Vietnam during the Tet Festival the decorations let all of us who visit realize how important this holiday has been for generations. Many decorations that light up the city streets are left up to enjoy throughout the year. The fireworks and celebrations are quite spectacular. Most importantly though Tet carries love and hope, it signifies the family and friend relationships and promises a better year ahead. I believe worldwide that people must be looking forward to a time when the 2019-2020 Pandemic will be behind us have less impact on the health and welfare of friends and families. Our colleagues in Vietnam share this same hope.
MEET volunteers wish all of our friends and colleagues throughout Vietnam a wonderful Tet celebration, as well as good wishes for prosperity in the coming year. Perhaps by the Fall of 2021 our teams will meet again in person for carrying out the important work accomplished together, and enjoy the cultural exchange that is valued in the process.
Helen
