京都で英会話を習うなら!四条烏丸より徒歩5分 イングリッシュバフェ

2024-02-14 Happy Lunar New Year!

One of the biggest holidays in Vietnam is Tet, or Lunar New Year. Lunar New Year is based on the lunar calendar. This year, Lunar New Year was on Saturday, February 10th. Similar to Oshogatsu in Japan, schools, companies, and businesses close in Vietnam for several days, and everyone goes back to their hometown to gather and celebrate with family.

Growing up in California, we celebrated Lunar New Year in a different way. It's not a public holiday in the US, so we celebrated on the weekend when everyone was free. At midnight on Lunar New Year, my dad would light a long line of firecrackers in the front of our house and the floors would be covered in red casings. During the day, extended family would gather at our house, where we would eat, sing home karaoke, and play gambling games together. Children also have to offer adults New Year wishes in order to receive red envelopes with money inside, similar to Otoshidama. 

Since Lunar New Year isn't widely celebrated in Japan, I always try to celebrate in my own way! This year, I made Vietnamese pho and fried egg rolls for dinner. It took some time to prepare, but it was well worth the effort for a taste of home. I also called my family to wish them a happy New Year.