“To the Vietnamese, the traditional Lunar New Year, or Tet, is both sacred and simple. To foreigners, this is really an opportunity to learn about the oriental country’s cultural identities,” said Mrs Astrid Cornaro, the wife of the European Union Ambassador to Vietnam Dr. Markus Cornaro, in a personal talk about Tet in Vietnam.
Three years ago, Mrs Astrid Cornaro flew to Vietnam when her husband was appointed the European Union Ambassador to Vietnam. Her first arrival was also near Tet and she was deeply impressed by the bustling atmosphere prior to Tet. “Vietnam is the first Asian nation I have stayed in for a long time. Even now, I cannot forget the feeling of enjoying the very first Tet in Vietnam. Everyone was busy selling and buying things for Tet, like chung cake, ornaments and candies,” she recalled.
In contacting a new culture, she often manages to find the differences between the new culture and her familiar Western culture. She makes many strange but interesting discoveries. “The Tet atmosphere not only lasts in one day but for months. They spend nearly one month to prepare for Tet and the following month to enjoy it.”
She said Vietnamese Tet is like a combination of Noel and Solar New Year in Europe. “Followers of Christianity take part in parties and pray for a new year of happiness and peace on Christmas Eve, and they go on holiday or spend time with their friends. In Vietnam, the people manage to come back home for family reunions during the traditional Tet, to visit relatives and friends and to travel somewhere to enjoy the spring atmosphere. I like the atmosphere of family reunions here,” she said. “The way Vietnamese people celebrate the New Year is very special, especially the traditional customs of visiting pagodas and picking lucky buds on New Year’s Eve.”
Unlike other many foreigners, who dislike Vietnamese Tet dishes, Astrid Cornaro likes them very much. She said that they are very special and always nice to try. “Many say chung cake is sticky like glue but I personally find it is very nice. It is not difficult to eat, but you cannot eat much,” she said humorously.
Presently, Astrid Cornaro, her husband and three children are living in a villa in downtown Hanoi. She is very proud of her youngest 11-year-old son because he can speak Vietnamese fluently. Like other Vietnamese women, she likes shopping for fresh foods for her family in the morning. She also learns to cook Vietnamese meals. “Almost all Vietnamese people know how to use spices and mix vegetables in the meal. Vietnamese cooking is like an art,” she pointed out.
She said the Tet atmosphere is very stimulating. She loves taking photographs with friends, shopping and watching the flowers on Hanoi’s streets during Tet. “This Tet is more prosperous, but the atmosphere is the same. I hope the Vietnamese economy keeps growing, but traditional values are kept and promoted.”
Thu Huyen
Vietnamese
