Since I moved to the US, S and I have established a tradition of celebrating Lunar New Year’s Eve on a video call with my family in Vietnam.
At the special moment marking the transition of time from one year to the next, we said “Chúc Mừng Năm Mới!” which means “Happy New Year!” and felt honored to receive the wishes for good health and happiness from my parents. We in turn gave them the same wishes. Though I’ve been hearing the same greetings and wishes for Tet (Vietnamese name for Lunar New Year) since I was young, they are always special to me because they come from my parents. And even the enthusiasm and joy in their tone of voice and expression, not just the words themselves, make their wishes more special.
The most exciting part of the call was when my Mom showed us what she had prepared for Tet from decorations, foods to snacks. This year, she had a big kumquat tree that was full of leaves and fruit and a bunch of vases with purple larkspurs and sword lilies which are typical flowers for Tet. The vases looked great but they were missing dahlias – my favorite flower from my childhood. My Mom said she didn’t get them as they don’t last very long. This issue can be fixed easily in the US as flower stores commonly sell flowers with nutrition packs which keep them fresh for a week without even changing the water. However, fresh flowers in the US can’t ever be as healthy and vibrant as the ones in VN, as they are sold at markets in the morning, as early as at 4 a.m. right after they are picked.
Then she showed us the peach blossoms. Unlike every other year, this year was the first time my parents bought the whole tree instead of a branch. And it was also the first time, the flowers were soft pink instead of the usual red. I prefer red blossoms, probably because they hold sentimental value for me and remind me of my memories of Tet. Peach blossoms and a kumquat tree are essential decorations for Tet in the Northern and Central regions, while in the South, yellow apricot blossoms are used instead of peach blossoms. Without them, the Tet atmosphere isn’t complete.
Next, she showed us small trays of snacks which were already set out on the table for the Eve celebration and for guests and relatives when they come over during Tet. Then, my Mom walked into the dining room and showed us her fridge fully packed with food. She had “Giò Bò” (a type of beef ham), “Giò Lụa” (a type of pork ham) and “Giò Tai” (a type of sausage made from pork ears and black fungus), “Nem chua” (I call it “Vietnamese Salami” due to the similarity in fermented meat texture), buffalo jerky and beef jerky, and all kinds of other delicious foods that I couldn’t remember the names of. She also showed us boxes of grapefruits that she complained were too many but no one but her ate. The food tour kept going when she showed us the foods and fruits on the altar. I saw “Bánh Chưng” (square-shaped boiled sticky rice filled with green beans and pork) and “Xôi chè” (a sweet sticky rice dish cooked with concentrated ginger juice). In my memory, “Giò Lụa, “Giò Tai ” and “Bánh Chưng” are traditional foods that we always have on Tet, and “Xôi Chè” is my paternal grandmother’s favorite dish. Since she passed away a long time ago, we never forget to offer her that dish on the altar on Tet.
Growing up, I always thought Tet was so boring, repetitive and “too much work”. I would try to be away from the family’s activities whenever I could so that I could stay in my own space. I knew that this had upset my Dad a lot but I had reasons for not actively participating in the event with my family.
Anyway, now that I’ve been living in the U.S. for an extended period, I really want to be a part of the festival, experiencing flowers, foods, decorations and the festive and family-gathering atmosphere. It’s going to happen soon!
Begin life at forty 