If you haven't known, today is the 1st day of Lunar New Year which we call "Tet" in Vietnamese. Lunar New Year marks the beginning of a calendar year whose months correspond to moon cycles. It is particularly celebrated in East and Southeast Asia countries, being inspired by the Chinese lunisolar calendar.
As for the Vietnamese, Lunar New Year is the biggest holiday of the year. This is the time for family reunions and hope. During my time in Vietnam, every Lunar New Year I looked forward to coming home and bringing gifts and sweets for my family. I like the feeling of family members gathering around Tet, because it's a rare opportunity for everyone to rest after a long year of work. For Lunar New Year, my mother and I would go to the market early on the morning of New Year's Eve to buy food to prepare for the upcoming days, since markets are typically closed for 3 days. This year is another year that I have a Tet holiday away from home. Feeling a bit sad and homesick even though my husband's family is also Vietnamese and the Asian community living in Sydney is also quite large. That makes the Tet atmosphere in my area quite bustling.
The flower market was opened quite early, 1 week before Lunar New Year. Walking around the Vietnamese area called Cabramatta, I saw a lot of yellow and red flower pots. Vietnamese people believe that yellow and red are two lucky colors, bringing wealth, prosperity and lucky things for the new year. The flower market was opened quite early, 1 week before Lunar New Year. Walking around the Vietnamese area called Cabramatta, I saw a lot of yellow and red flower pots. Vietnamese people believe that yellow and red are two lucky colors, bringing wealth, prosperity and lucky things for the new year. This is why they like to decorate their homes in these colors at the beginning of the year. Back to the time in Viet Nam, every year, my mother often buys Yellow Apricot Blossoms and Sakura Blossoms to display during the Lunar New Year. The climate in Australia is very suitable for these two flowers, especially in spring when Sakura blooms. However, the Lunar New Year in Australia is usually in the summer, not in the spring like in Vietnam. Therefore, most of the stores sell yellow chrysanthemums during Tet. However, just that is enough to make you feel the festive atmosphere on the streets, since this kind of flower is usually only sold during Tet.
In the Asian areas, electric lights are brightly lit and red lanterns are hung all over the streets. Since it's the Year of the Tiger, there are different versions of the Tiger displayed in the squares in each suburb. There is a lion dance that you can easily catch on the street that children find extremely interesting. The big temples are also filled with festive atmosphere, as fireworks light up the sky at the right time of New Year's Eve. Buddhists love going to pagodas on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day. This is an occasion to pray for peace and health for the family.
As a tradition, my family also made Tet cake one week before Lunar New Year. This is a cylindrical glutinous rice cake (filled with banana or green bean paste and fat pork). We all woke up early at 3am in the morning to start preparing stuffs and finished cooking at around 4pm. My mother in law says she has been making this every year for 15 years now. All the family members gathered around to make the cakes, which was a great time.
There won't be many occasions for a full family gathering. So my friends, let's cherish every moment to get together with your family, and so will I.
Happy Lunar New Year, everyone!!! May the New Year bless you with Health, Wealth and Happiness!!!
Cheers!!!