MAI Curiosity

Tet, away from home

For the first time, I had a New Year Festival (Lunar New Year) away from home. 32 years you have celebrated the biggest holiday with your family and friends. Then, you are in a Western country where lunar calendars are not sold in the news agents.

The New Year of the Buffalo arrived in Sydney quietly and suddenly. It is only felt from the home websites, from my husband’s notices and a promise to join in a party at a friend’s house. At this time of last year, I hurried around the city to visit relatives, go shopping and work. But this year, I’m free and have nothing to hurry on the last day of the year 2008. I suddenly liked to escape such busy and noisy things before Tet at home.

Only when I realized that my 6-year-old daughter should know something about Tet did I ask her to clean up the house, a tradition any Vietnamese families do to welcome the New Year.

Chinese merchants open 2009 business with dragon unicorn and firecrackers

This year, I welcomed the Lunar New Year in the summer time but it’s a wonder that the weather is very cool with some drizzling rain on the New Year Eve and the first two days of the Buffalo Year. The cosy party at my friends’ house with Square cakes, pork pie and noodles finally woke up my feelings for the traditional Tet. Like any Vietnamese kids, my daughter was so excited to receive lucky money in her new dress.

I followed a local family to burn incense at a Buddhism pagoda. Then we walked along the street to enjoy dragon dance and the happy sound of firecracker. We ended up the New Year tour by visiting another family and tasted sweets and cookies. Wow, the Vietnamese people in Sydney celebrate the Lunar New Year festival almost like those back home.

On the way back home, I realized that I still love Tet. I love this special Tet away from home because it will be very soon that I can enjoy a real Tet at home with my parents and my friends. I still love to be busy for Tet because that is what I belong to. It’s wonderful to experience a different Lunar New Year in a different country, but if it is forever, it will be really really sad.

How happy my man looks when he is with the “spider” girls from China

I wish good health and good luck to my beloved ones (my grandparents, my parents, my little daughter, my husband, my sister and her partner, my relatives my friends and me) in the Year of the Buffalo and forever.