Another gloomy day in Hanoi. The light mist in the air makes it feel like Lunar New Year is upon us... and it is. I have a solar-powered Citizen Eco-drive watch that is dying for some sun. When the battery gets low it clicks off two seconds at a time and this usually only happens when I put the watch on a desk in the apartment for days on in. I have been wearing my watch daily, but today I noticed it has been clicking off two seconds at a time just because the sun hasn't been out for days; maybe weeks.
Today is the last work day for most people before the Tet holiday begins in earnest. Local papers have been full of articles about the traffic on the streets and the long lines at the super market. Anyone who tries to tell you Tet is about anything other than hour-long queues in the market and bumper to bumper traffic has really missed the true meaning of Tet.
Lucky money is another Tet traditon. This is a custom of parents and friends of parents giving "lucky" money to kids in red envelopes. It sounds like a great tradition that the kids would love... and they do... but one has to be careful about how much is given to the children. If it is a child of a friend or family, the monetary amount should be between $2.50 and $5. When you start thinking about how many of your friends have kids, this amount can start to add up quickly. Fact is, the only people that make money during Tet are children... everyone else loses their asses!
Chúc mừng năm Tân Mão
An Khang, Thịnh Vượng
Happy Lunar New Year of the Cat
Peace and Prosperity to you
2 comments:
what exactly does Tet stand for???
Tet is the Vietnamese word for Lunar New Year marked by the first new moon of the year. The Vietnamese traditionally celebrate the lunar new year rather than the solar new year, though the western holiday season is slowly catching on. The lunar new year coincides to some degree with our Mardi Gras - but I am not sure of how that works.
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