Vietnamese New Year: Before New Year's Eve

 Vietnamese people usually return to their families during Tết. Some return to worship at the family altar or visit the graves of their ancestors in their homeland. Although Tết is a national holiday among all Vietnamese, each region and religion has its own customs.
Tết in the three Vietnamese regions can be divided into three periods, known as Before New Year's Eve, New Year's Eve, and the New Year, representing the preparation before Tết, the eve of Tết, and the days of and following Tết, respectively. All of these customs are to celebrate Tết in Vietnam.
Before New Year's Eve begins one or two weeks before the actual celebration. The general atmosphere leading up to Tết is in the bustle of shopping, decorating the home, cooking traditional Tết food and waiting for relatives to return home. People try to pay off their debts in advance so that they can be debt-free on Tết. Parents buy new clothes for their children so that the children can wear them when Tết arrives. Because a lot of commercial activity will cease during the celebrations, people try to stock up on supplies as much as possible.
In the days leading up to Tết, the streets and markets are full of people. Since the shops will be closed during Tết, everyone is busy buying food, clothes, and decorations for their house.
Vietnamese families usually have a family altar, to pay respect to their ancestors. Vietnamese families have a tray of five fruits on their altar called "Ngũ Quả", including banana, orange, kumquat, pomelo and finger citron . Each fruit conveys a different meaning. Pomelos promise a lucky and sweet year. Banana and finger citron symbolize a protective hand while kumquats and oranges represent success and prosperity. During Tết the altar is thoroughly cleaned and new offerings are placed there. Traditionally, the three kitchen guardians for each house (Kitchen God), who report to the Jade Emperor about the events in that house over the past year, return to heaven on the 23rd day of the twelfth month by lunar calendar. Their departure is marked by a modest ceremony where the family offers sacrifices for them to use on their journey.
In the days leading up to Tết, each family cooks special holiday foods such as "banh chung" and "banh day". Preparations for these foods are quite extensive. Family members often take turns to keep watch on the fire overnight, telling each other stories about Tết of past years.
Before New Year's Eve is my favored period. When I was child, I always stayed home and waited for my mum coming back from market. She bought many many things I loved. When I grow up, I'm always exciting to go to market to buy special things for New Year and go shopping with my friends to choose beautiful cloths. Moreover, I like to help my parent decorate our house, clean house, and cook special food.
During this period, companies celebrate parties for their workers in the restaurants. These parties are grateful to their workers for working hard to improve companies and cheer their successful business during a year. For Vietnamese families, Before New Year's Eve parties occur in their own house and they invite their relatives and close friends.

Look their mom and grandma make "banh tet" 

                            Cooking "banh tet" with his mom during a night and reminding old stories.

Before New Year's Eve party of a company

Traditional Vietnamese wedding - reception

A wedding banquet is scheduled in the evening at a hotel or a big restaurant. It is always a delight feast that all relatives, friends, and neighbors are invited. A music band is usually hired to play live songs.

At the banquet, the groom, bride, and their family are once again introduced to the guests and everyone will drink a toast. Dinner will be served at the tables.In modern weddings, brides usually change into three different gowns during the reception.

During the reception, the groom, bride, and their parents will stop by each table to say thank to their guests. The guest in return, will give envelopes containing wedding cards and money gifts to the newly wedded couples along with their blessing. A lot of weddings nowadays are followed by a dancing party, which is opened by the groom and the bride's first dance. The party does not recess until very late at night. The newly wedded couples then leave for their honey moon.

I feel our traditional wedding is very complicated, but I always wish to join in it. That is always wonderful time for me and also great time for my best lovely people, because that event just happens one time in their life.  Next month, my best friend will get married, but I cannot stay behind her and cheer her.I believe that she will be beautiful and sweet bride and be happy with her husband.

Traditional Vietnamese wedding - part 1

Wedding is very important to Vietnamese, not only to the couple involved, but also for both families. Thus, it is usually including quite a few formal ritual observances.
Preparations for the traditional Vietnamese wedding first begins by choosing a date and time for the marriage ceremony. This is decided by a Buddhist monk, Spiritual leader, fortune teller due to the spiritual nature of the occasion. This tradition does not change if the family is Catholic.
The day of the wedding consists of an extensive array of ceremonies: the first is the ceremony to ask permission to receive the bride, the second is the procession to receive the bride at her house, the third is to the procession of bringing the bride to the groom's house. Both Vietnamese and oversea-Vietnamese who desire to have a hybrid traditional Vietnamese and Western-style wedding will often incorporate the last two ceremonies with the Western-style wedding.
On the wedding day, the groom's family and relatives go to the bride's house bringing a lot of gifts wrapped in red papers. These gifts are similar to those of the engagement:betel, wine, tea, fruit, cakes, a roast pig, fabric or clothing for the bride, and an abundance of jewelry for the bride (the amount of jewelry depending on the personal wealth of the groom's family). Usually, the number of gift boxes varies between 6 or 8, but never 7 or 9 since it is seen as bad luck. However, it depends on personal view and might be reduced to 2-3 boxes. People who hold these trays are also carefully chosen, usually they are happily married couples. Ladies and women are all dressed in Ao Dai. Men could be in their suits or men traditional Ao Dai. The troop are usually led by a couple that is most wealthy and successful among the relatives, this means to wish the to-be-wed couples a blessing life together in the future.
The groom's family would introduce themselves and ask permission for their son to marry his bride. The Master of the Ceremony (usually a respected person among the bride's relatives) instructs the bride's parents to present their daughter. The bride then follows her parents out. She is in Vietnamese traditional wedding Ao Dai which is usually in red. Followed are her bride maids. The wedding ceremony starts in front of the altar. The bride and the groom would kneel down and pray, asking their ancestors' permission to be married, also asking for blessing on their family-to-be. The couple then turn around and bow down to the bride's parents to say thank for raising and protecting her since birth. They then bow their head to each other, which means to show their gratitude and respect toward their soon-to-be husband or wife. The Master of the Ceremony would gave the wedding couple advices on starting a new family. The groom and the bride's parents would take turn to share their experience and give blessing. The groom and the bride then exchange their wedding rings. The parents will give the newly wedded value gifts such as golden bracelets, ear rings, necklace... The ceremony is ended with a round applause.
As the procession arrives back at the groom's house, the groom's family members that did not partake in the procession but remained at home will light firecrackers in celebration. The newlyweds will be brought groom's ancestor altar, where another ancestor ceremony takes place and the bride is introduced to the groom's relatives.

 

 

 

 

The traditional Vietnamese engagement

An engagement ceremony takes place usually half a year or so before the wedding. In the past, most marriages were arranged by the parents or extended family, and while children were sometimes consulted, it was nearly always the parents' final decision. It was not surprising to find that a bride and groom had only just met on the day of their engagement or marriage. However, in the last few decades, Vietnamese women and men marry based on love rather than arranged marriages.
In engagement, the groom and his family visit the bride and her family with round lacquered boxes known as betrothal presents composed of gifts of areca nuts and betel leaves, tea, cake, fruits, wines and other delicacies covered with red cloth and carried by unmarried girls or boys. Both families agree to pick a good day for wedding.

 

Vietnamese traditional dresses - Ao dai in Vietnamese life

To the Vietnamese people, Ao Dai has always been synonymous with grace, and beauty. To the Vietnamese people, rich or poor, the Ao Dai is still the dress of choice on social occasion and enjoys a preference on special occasions as well.
In Vietnam, the pure white Ao Dai, symbolizing the purity, are the uniform for female students in some middle schools, most high schools and some universities. Moreover, the Ao Dai is the first choice of teachers when they go to school. They ride their bicycle to go to school and come back home. Many companies require their female staff to be dressed in the Ao Dai. Flight attendants wear blue or red Ao Dai; receptionists or women working in restaurants, hotels, and banks have their uniform whose colors depend on each place. Besides, we wear Ao Dai in New Year or festivals to go to pagodas or churches, and in wedding.
In wedding, groom and bride wear Ao Dai. Bride’s Ao Dai (royal Ao Dai) is designed differently from other styles. “This Ao Dai is made of brocaded, woven silk. It is worn under a long cardigan-like robe. The robe is open from the collar down and made of the same material and with a similar pattern as the dress. With the royal Ao Dai, the royal ladies often wore a khan dong vanh, a fabric crown-like accessory made of starched brocaded woven silk. It is worn on the head and looks rather like a wide headband. This crown is also called queen's kerchief or queen's scarf." This style of the royal ladies has become the traditional dress for brides during the marriage ceremony, when the bride becomes of the queen of one man's heart.
Our national costume has not only been popularized everywhere in Vietnam, but also been appeared at international events. When we go to any other countries on the world, we always bring our Ao Dai. When the female politicians or businesswomen participate international occasions, or greet foreign visitors, they wear Ao Dai for both their talent and charming look. In luggage of student abroad, we usually have at least traditional dress, Ao Dai. It is said that anywhere Vietnamese women are, Ao Dai is there.
The ao dai is a source of national pride, a symbol of feminine beauty, and a canvas for the ultimate creativity. Many poets and authors have written Vietnamese literatures and poems; many musicians have composed romantic songs; and a number of artists have painted about the beauty of the Ao Dai and the grace and beauty it brings to the wearers. In the fashion field, the Ao Dai is favorite choice of many designers to create. According to designer Minh Hanh, head of Ho Chi Minh city’s Fashion Design Institute, Ao Dai is the own strength in Vietnamese culture and if designers can’t show its own background, they would never success. Not only has the Ao Dai been endless inspiration of Vietnamese artists but also has attracted attention of foreign artists. The Ao Dai leaves a deep impression on foreign visitors to Vietnam. Anthony Grey described the Ao Dai in his novel Saigon as “demure and provocative… women seemed not to walk but to float gently beneath the tamarinds on the evening breeze.”
Throughout the long time in Vietnamese history, the Ao Dai remained unchanged in its symbolism and the image it conjures in the hearts of all Vietnamese. Wearing Ao Dai, I have felt warm in winter and cool in summer. Being Vietnamese girl, I’m prideful and confident when I wear my traditional costume. So, going to anywhere, Ao Dai always has a positive in my luggage. Ao Dai is a national symbol of Vietnam.

Vietnamese traditional dresses - Ao dai: History

Each country has at least its own traditional costume and people are proud of it. You can recognize person’s nationality from his or her traditional costume. In my country, Vietnam, one of the traditional Vietnamese costumes is Ao Dai, the national costume of the Vietnamese people. It’s easy to say: Ao Dai is Vietnam and Vietnam is Ao dai. Each Vietnamese woman has at least Ao Dai and we are proud of our traditional dress. The Ao Dai both follows the beautiful lines of the body and flatters it by lending it a sense of fluid movement it doesn’t have.
Up to now, the true origin of the Ao Dai is mysterious. There are many different stories about Ao Dai history. According to tradition, the Trung sisters wore two-flapped ao dai on the battlefield, mounted on the backs of elephants, when they fought the Chinese invaders. In Vietnamese custom, one often avoids having similar accouterments or names as someone one respects so Vietnamese women started wearing the ao tu than instead of the two-flapped ao dai to show their respect and admiration for the Trung sisters. In the 18th century, during the rule of the Nguyen lords in the South, Lord Nguyen Phuc Khoat, had the people of his dominions dress differently than the people of the North in order to develop a sense of independence (the North, where women wore ao tu than, was under the rule of the Trinh lords). Women were to wear a dress with a high collar that had the front and back of the dress sewn together with seams running down from under the arms. So the ao dai was born, its design a compromise between its origins in the North and its reintroduction in the South.
According to another version, in 1744 when Lord Vu Vuong of the Nguyen Dynasty decreed both men and women should wear an ensemble of trousers and a gown that buttoned down the front. (Ellis). However, some historians have suggested that the Ao Dai was an evolution of the ancient four-flapped tunic (ao tu than), one of the well known Vietnamese traditional dresses. Some other historians advocated that because of influence of Chinese culture and a costume the early 1700s, the Ao Dai was an evolution of Qipao, imperial Chinese garb of the Qing dynasty. Nevertheless, there are some differences between Ao Dai and Qipao; Qipao consists of the slit on both sides, but the slit only goes up to mid-tight whereas the slit in Ao Dai goes all the way to the waist. Besides, Ao Dai must be worn with the silk pants whereas Qipao doesn’t
The ao dai is very simple. It has long sleeves, a high mandarin collar, with hidden buttons from the collar down in front of the shoulder, underneath the arm and along the side down to the waist. At the waist, the dress slits into front and back flap. The flaps are the same length, down to the knees or longer. Ao dai can be worn with loose-fitting black or white pants. From design of the Ao Dai, almost Vietnamese people believe that Ao Dai was an evolution of the ancient four-flapped tunic (ao tu than).
However, the closest form to the Ao Dai was ao ngu than (five- part dress). The five- part dress had a major difference from the modern Ao Dai in the way it was made. 1800s the five- part dress were made of five parts: This consisted of two flaps sewn together in the back, two flaps sewn together in the front, and a fifth flap hidden underneath the front main flap. This five-part Ao Dai was similar to its current incarnation in that it still appears to be a two-flapped tunic with slits on both sides, but the front and back flap were generally much broader, and of course the dress was much more loosely fit.
Going with the time stream, the Ao Dai has modernized more and more. “In 1930, the Vietnamese fashion designer Cát Tường, known to the French as Monsieur Le Mur, modified it. He lengthened the Ao Dai so that the top reached the floor, and made it fit the curves of the body closer. With the import of an abundance of foreign fabrics in 20th century Vietnam, including broader fabric, the modernized Ao Dai required less material to be made and as a result the flaps also became generally slimmer. In Saigon during the 1950s, Tran Kim of Thiet Lap Tailors and Dung of Dung Tailors modified the Ao Dai to a form closest to what is seen today. He produced the gowns with raglan sleeves, creating a diagonal seam that runs from the collar to the underarm. Ao Dai only continued to become more form-fitting with time.” In the 1960s the collarless Ao Dai style was popularized by the infamous Madame Nhu, a political figure of the 1950s and 1960s. After that, many collarless styles, such as the square neck, the sweetheart neck, have designed. Those styles showed the beauty of women’s slender neck and a white throat.
Despite the two major modifications to the Ao Dai in the 20th century, it has also seen slight changes throughout each decade as fashion changes constantly. Everything from floral to checkered patterns, the use of transparent fabrics, the tunic length being largely reduced or lengthened, has all been seen throughout different eras of Vietnamese history.
Not only the Ao Dai style but also the sort of fabric has changed. Many designers went on improving sorts of fabric, such as Ha Dong silk, Thai silk, soft domestically-produced fabric, muslin, etc. Along with a number of artists, they created the Ao Dai with hand drawn designs which made women look more mature and charming. The pant, worn with Ao Dai, is not only black or white but also other colors. Wearers are interesting in how to merge color of dress and pant. The Vietnamese women wear this dress with high heeled shoes making women higher and thinner, and making their step lighter and gracefully.

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