Question

[Kenny Hoàng]

Write a letter to your friend, talk about your recent Tet holiday that you've just had.

Answer 1

[Lê Yến Nhi]

For Vietnamese, Lunar New year is the most important festival of a year because it is the beginning of a year. If we have a good beginning throughout first three days of year, we will have much luck during that year. Therefore, the activity of welcoming Tet festival is celebrated carefully in order to avoid unfortunate mistakes. And according to each area of the country, Vietnamese have different ways. Although I am a Vietnamese, I don’t know how families in other parts of my country welcome Tet holiday. My family, an age –old Southern family, usually celebrates Tet as this following way. Tet holiday begins on twenty-ninth of December. We start on decorating our house and preparing food for tet holiday. My father and I are responsible for tidying up our house. Quickly, the house becomes splendid with a very beautiful apricot blossom full of sweet-smelling blooming flowers in the middle of living room. On the branches, we also put some lovely greeting cards which make the tree more beautiful. When we finish our duties, my mother and sister also finish cooking. The kitchen is now full of delicious dishes whose smell float into the air. We usually keep many kinds of food in our kitchen in New Year festival. At lunch, we prepare a big feast to donate the ancestors. At the New Year‘s Eve, our family usually gather together. We watch television or play some traditional games. Until the clock strikes twelve tones to signal the moment of a new year, we donate the ancestors again. Then, my sister and I say “happy new year” to my parents and get lucky money from them. Next, we have a big meal to welcome New Year. Although all of us say nothing about our senses at that time, I know every body is cheerful and hopes for a lucky year. In three Tet days, we are usually well-dress to visit our relatives, teachers. We bring offerings to sacrifice ancestral altars, congratulate the olds on advancing in years and say New Year’s greetings to the others. Although we all are quite tired in these days, we are really joyful. Thanks to Tet holiday, we become closer and closer. Tet festival is very significant for Vietnamese, and these are all of my Tet holiday. I hope every year we have three great Tet days so that we have an extremely smooth year.

~Cheer♥