L’approche du Tet*
There are several things to do during Tet in Saigon. It’s not a one-day holiday, it’s a season, similar to Christmas in form and Thanksgiving in spirit. The holiday is lunar-calendar based. It starts on the 23rd of the 12th month, the day to “cung dua ong Tao“, a ceremonious dinner to see off the Household God as he takes his annual trip to heaven. It ends on the 7th day of the 1st month of the new lunar year. In the first week, there are spring flower markets on Nguyen Hue Street and water melon markets in Dakao. Water melon used to be available during Tet only, and there used to be only one kind – the green outside, red inside kind. Now there are yellow, striped, even cubic watermelon! There’s the sound of the gongs and the drums of mua lan (lion dance) in the neighborhood. There are thousands of crimson red Chinese sausages packaged, displayed not so far from deep green banh chung and banh tet. Hmm… it just crossed my mind that the main colors of Tet are also red and green, like Christmas… There is orange from the kumquats, shiny gold from the newly polished copper censers, and yellow from the flowers. Chrysanthemums for small vases on the altars and mai for display in the living room or the garden. My mom used to say, when she took off the leaves of the mai tree (to make room for its new leaves and blossoms), she could feel Tet is coming in the air. For big families with the tradition of making their own banh chung banh tet, Tet comes when they sit around the huge pot of cooking banh, warmed by the fire, chatting the hours away. After giao thua (Tet’s eve), the second week of the holiday starts. It’s the first week of the new spring and the new lunar year. It’s time to go to the pagodas, to be nice with others, to relax and enjoy oneself. That’s why “thang gieng la thang an choi” (the 1st month is the month of fun).
Do I have a month of fun to celebrate Tet now? Hehe, certainly not. I did have over a month of fun and total laziness for Christmas break, however, thanks to Texas A&M’s generosity. But school started last Tuesday; and this Monday, in all splendor of the first day of the new lunar year, the most important day of Tet, I will haul my backpack on the shoulder and go to class from 10 till 5:30. Good start. I will be hardworking and learn a lot the whole year. The Vietnamese living overseas have at most a Tet party on the weekend or the night before. A Vietnamese physics hermit spends giao thua alone with research and movies. But above all reasons Tet is the time to be with family. My family is here, so my Tet is here. 🙂
*The blog title is inspired by LĂŞ Phố’s painting under the same name.
**The painting is Fleurs by LĂŞ Phố, 1960, oil on canvas. Since I couldn’t find a free image of L’approche du Tet online, I thought Fleurs would be an appropriate substitution.
Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is a very well written article. I will be sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your useful info. Thanks for the post. I will definitely comeback.
1But wanna comment on few general things, The website style and design is perfect, the subject material is really great : D.
2I do agree with all of the ideas you have presented in your post. They’re really convincing and will certainly work. Still, the posts are very short for novices. Could you please extend them a bit from next time? Thanks for the post.
3I got good info from your blog
4It’s really a great and helpful piece of information. I am glad that you shared this helpful info with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.
5Hello.This post was extremely motivating, particularly because I was looking for thoughts on this topic last couple of days.
6I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post…
7very nice post, i actually love this website, keep on it
8Thank you for another informative web site. The place else may just I am getting that type of information written in such an ideal approach? I’ve a mission that I am simply now operating on, and I’ve been at the look out for such information.
9I am often to blogging and i really appreciate your content. The article has really peaks my interest. I am going to bookmark your site and keep checking for new information.
10I and my guys have been analyzing the good solutions on your web site while the sudden I had a horrible feeling I never thanked the blog owner for them. All of the young men happened to be consequently happy to read all of them and have now in actuality been having fun with these things. Thanks for really being quite thoughtful and then for opting for varieties of perfect subjects most people are really desperate to learn about. My personal honest regret for not saying thanks to you sooner.
11Awsome post and right to the point. I am not sure if this is in fact the best place to ask but do you guys have any thoughts on where to get some professional writers? Thank you 🙂
12After all, what a great site and informative posts, I will upload inbound link – bookmark this web site? Regards, Reader.
13Well I sincerely enjoyed studying it. This article provided by you is very effective for good planning.
14I simply wanted to say thanks once more. I do not know the things I might have accomplished without the actual tips and hints provided by you relating to this theme. It had been the challenging concern in my position, nevertheless being able to see your specialized mode you treated that took me to weep over contentment. Now i am grateful for your advice and even pray you realize what a great job you were doing training people today all through your webblog. I’m certain you have never met any of us.
15I really appreciate this post. I have been looking everywhere for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You’ve made my day! Thx again
16Regards for this post, I am a big fan of this site would like to go on updated.
17Thanks for helping out, wonderful info .
18Howdy would you mind stating which blog platform you’re using? I’m going to start my own blog soon but I’m having a difficult time deciding between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your design and style seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something unique. P.S Apologies for being off-topic but I had to ask!
19Hello very nice site!! Man .. Beautiful .. Wonderful .. I will bookmark your web site and take the feeds also?KI am glad to search out so many helpful information right here in the publish, we want work out more techniques in this regard, thank you for sharing. . . . . .
20Thank you for another excellent article. Where else could anyone get that kind of info in such an ideal way of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I am on the look for such info.
21Heya i’m for the primary time here. I found this board and I to find It truly helpful & it helped me out a lot. I’m hoping to give something again and help others like you helped me.
22My brother recommended I might like this website. He was entirely right. This post truly made my day. You can not imagine simply how much time I had spent for this info! Thanks!
23hello!,I love your writing so so much! percentage we communicate more approximately your post on AOL? I need an expert in this area to unravel my problem. Maybe that’s you! Looking ahead to peer you.
24Your style is so unique compared to many other people. Thank you for publishing when you have the opportunity,Guess I will just make this bookmarked.
25I as well conceive therefore, perfectly composed post! .
26I very lucky to find this web site on bing, just what I was looking for : D too saved to my bookmarks.
27I consider something really special in this site.
28Wonderful blog! I found it while browsing on Yahoo News. Do you have any suggestions on how to get listed in Yahoo News? I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there! Appreciate it
29Greetings from Idaho! I’m bored at work so I decided to check out your blog on my iphone during lunch break. I love the knowledge you provide here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home. I’m shocked at how quick your blog loaded on my mobile .. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyhow, very good blog!
30What i do not understood is actually how you’re not really much more well-liked than you might be now. You are so intelligent. You realize thus considerably relating to this subject, produced me personally consider it from so many varied angles. Its like women and men aren’t fascinated unless it’s one thing to accomplish with Lady gaga! Your own stuffs nice. Always maintain it up!
31You got a very good website, Gladiola I discovered it through yahoo.
32Great goods from you, man. I’ve understand your stuff previous to and you are just too magnificent. I actually like what you’ve acquired here, really like what you’re saying and the way in which you say it. You make it entertaining and you still take care of to keep it smart. I cant wait to read far more from you. This is really a tremendous web site.
33Hello! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back frequently!
34of course like your website but you have to check the spelling on quite a few of your posts. Several of them are rife with spelling problems and I find it very troublesome to tell the truth nevertheless I will surely come back again.
35Its wonderful as your other posts : D, thankyou for putting up.
36It is appropriate time to make some plans for the future and it’s time to be happy. I’ve read this post and if I could I want to suggest you few interesting things or suggestions. Perhaps you could write next articles referring to this article. I wish to read even more things about it!
37You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be actually something that I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and extremely broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I’ll try to get the hang of it!
38great points altogether, you just gained a new reader. What would you suggest in regards to your post that you made some days ago? Any positive?
39Hi, i feel that i noticed you visited my web site so i came to “go back the prefer”.I’m attempting to in finding issues to improve my web site!I assume its good enough to make use of some of your ideas!!
40Great post. I am facing a couple of these problems.
41Hi there! Quick question that’s entirely off topic. Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly? My website looks weird when browsing from my iphone. I’m trying to find a template or plugin that might be able to resolve this problem. If you have any recommendations, please share. Thank you!
42Way cool, some valid points! I appreciate you making this article available, the rest of the site is also high quality. Have a fun.
43What i don’t realize is in truth how you’re now not actually a lot more neatly-favored than you may be now. You are very intelligent. You know therefore considerably with regards to this subject, made me in my view consider it from so many varied angles. Its like men and women are not interested until it is something to do with Woman gaga! Your own stuffs great. Always deal with it up!
44I was examining some of your blog posts on this website and I believe this website is very instructive! Retain putting up.
45Good write-up, I am regular visitor of one’s web site, maintain up the excellent operate, and It is going to be a regular visitor for a lengthy time.
46Simply wish to say your article is as astounding. The clearness in your post is simply spectacular and i can assume you are an expert on this subject. Fine with your permission let me to grab your RSS feed to keep updated with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please continue the enjoyable work.
47Hey there! This is my 1st comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and say I genuinely enjoy reading through your posts. Can you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that cover the same topics? Thanks for your time!
48Wonderful site. Plenty of useful info here. I am sending it to some pals ans also sharing in delicious. And obviously, thank you for your sweat!
49Awsome site! I am loving it!! Will be back later to read some more. I am bookmarking your feeds also.
50