Vietnam’s Spring Festival leaves a deep impression on international friends

For foreigners who have settled in Vietnam or worked in Vietnam for a long time, the Spring Festival has long become as important a festival as Christmas and New Year. When Tet comes, they gradually integrate into Vietnamese life and traditional customs.

The Spring Festival is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people

Stephan Kaup, deputy director of the Goethe-Institut in Hanoi, shared: “I still remember that from the third to the fifth day of the first lunar month, my friends invited my family to visit and welcome the Spring Festival. Not only did we taste special delicacies such as rice dumplings, fried pork, candied fruits, etc., We also enjoyed the atmosphere of being a group and getting to know the special customs of Tet. Those moments made us feel like we were part of their family. So, after being here for more than two years, Tet is a time for me to share the emotions of friends and enjoy the food and beauty of Vietnam. Opportunities for style."

It is not difficult to realize that for everyone, the gathering of relatives and friends is the first important factor that makes the Spring Festival deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, diversifying the lifestyle and customs of welcoming the New Year for every foreigner.

Understand the traditional culture of Vietnam’s Spring Festival, the taboo customs of Vietnam’s Spring Festival, and the Vietnamese Spring Festival in the eyes of ambassadors from various countries in Vietnam. Sophie Mesonave, cultural counselor of the French Embassy in Vietnam and president of the French Institute of Vietnam, recalled: “Whether it is Christmas, New Year’s Day or the traditional Spring Festival What they all have in common is the bonding of family ties. Last Spring Festival, I invited my 87-year-old father-in-law to fly over to spend the New Year together, and our family took a walk by Hoan Kiem Lake like a family in Hanoi.”

Same and excited

At the same time, for many Asian countries, the similarities in Spring Festival dates or customs create a familiar atmosphere, making people who are far away from home feel less homesick. Osuka Choya, representative of the Vietnam-Japan Cultural Exchange Center, said: "The way Vietnamese celebrate the Spring Festival has many similarities with Japan. We Japanese call the tradition of going to temples at the beginning of the new year Shoichi. When I visited Da Nang at the end of the year, I really felt closer to the Vietnamese people, and being among the temple-goers on New Year’s Eve made me feel less homesick.”

It would be a mistake not to mention the appeal of Spring Festival cuisine to foreigners. In this regard, the Tet dinner plate has become an interesting cultural "crossover" point, a time for foreigners to taste traditional Vietnamese dishes and at the same time introduce their country's specialties to Vietnamese friends. Although he has just arrived in Vietnam, every time when Spring Festival dishes are mentioned, Mr. Shoya Osuga shares excitedly: "In Japan, we often eat dishes called Osechi Ryori, which are usually offerings to gods. Various dishes are put in a lacquer box. Each dish has its own meaning. I have not tasted Vietnamese New Year food, but I believe that they all have the same "sacrifice to the gods" as Japanese New Year dishes. Meaning. I really want to try Vietnamese boiled chicken during the upcoming Chinese New Year.” Mr. Osuga Shoya also said that the two countries’ diets have similarities in ingredients, so he will use Vietnamese lotus roots and beans to cook dishes, and can’t wait to share the “Vietnamese version of Osechi cuisine” with his close friends. .

Mr. Osuga Shoya has decided to stay in Vietnam to welcome the Year of the Dragon in 2024. He said: "I want to see with my own eyes how Vietnamese place sacrifices on the altar, welcome the Spring Festival or experience dining in a Vietnamese family. I also want to experience going to temples with relatives and friends at the beginning of the year to pray for blessings. With love, expectation, curiosity, etc. With all kinds of feelings, I hope that Tet will allow me to understand more about Vietnamese people and even Vietnamese culture.

Share experience

For foreigners working at the Goethe-Institut in Hanoi, the Vietnam-Japan Cultural Exchange Center or the French Academy of Vietnam, Tet is also a "bridge" for closer relationships with colleagues outside the work framework, and more generally, for sharing and understanding the cultures and customs of various countries Opportunity. The above significance can be seen in some small but meaningful gestures, such as Mr. Stephen Cope happily introducing a New Year's card and sharing: "This card reflects the combination of innovation and culture of our college. The card has The image of a dragon is the mascot of the lunar year 2024. At the same time, the greeting card also has details of a Christmas tree and Christmas decorations."

The Korean Cultural Center introduces Korean cultural characteristics to the Vietnamese people every year. This year’s Spring Festival, the center will organize activities to understand and experience the Korean New Year Festival and the Vietnamese Spring Festival, bringing many interesting activities to the Vietnamese people.

In a working environment where most of the people around him are Vietnamese, Mr. Osuka Shoya believes that first of all, we must have a deep understanding of Vietnamese culture, customs and customs through the traditional Spring Festival, in order to promote Japanese culture and strengthen cultural exchanges between the two countries. It is an important task that cultural centers in other countries have always aspired to.

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