The Jewrican Traveler

One of the most anticipated holidays of the year is the Vietnamese New Year ‘Tet’, which marks the arrival of spring based on the Lunar calendar. During this time, families ring in the new year by coming together to eat, drink and most importantly – not work. This was my first Tet holiday and I thought it was great, not only because I got two weeks off from work to travel, but mostly because I got to learn more about the Vietnamese and their culture.

Tet actually lasts for only a few days, but many people take anywhere from a week to a month off from work to spend time with their families and/or travel. During the actual new year, we spent time with our boss and his family in the country.

One Tet tradition we learned about was ‘lucky money’. Our boss’s nephew recited a little prayer for us first in Vietnamese wishing us well in the new year, and in return we handed him a red envelope with money. Here’s an image of the lucky money I received:

The food was plentiful and delicious. I do have to admit that I tried field mice for the first – and last – time. So on that note, I hope everyone had a wonderful new year. As they say in Vietnam, Chuc Mung Nam Moi!!