2010 - The Year of the Tiger

As we headed off to church this morning, the streets were practically deserted.  Our street is just about empty since many residents and most of the students left to go visit their ancestral villages for the holiday.  Today is Tết - the first day of the Lunar New Year observed in many Asian countries.  Stores, shops, and businesses that are usually open seven days a week are all closed, and will be for several days, some even until next Sunday, the 21st. This is the biggest holiday of the year in Vietnam!

Last night at midnight we went up on the roof of our building to watch the fireworks taking place all over the city. We could see fireworks over 3 different lakes - the sky was lit up, it was amazing. 

 Even more amazing was the synchronization - they all started at midnight and ended at the exact same time, about 20 minutes later. Our pics are a bit blurry, but here are a few to give you the feel.

      The only place we saw traffic as we rode to church in our taxi was at the many temples and pagodas.  Today is the day to honor and worship the ancestors.  By dinnertime on New Year’s Eve many households prepare feasts for their deceased family members. People set up altars with food offerings and say personal prayers at exactly midnight. One of the beliefs is that on New Year's day itself, it is beneficial to celebrate, to be happy, to have smiling faces, and to refrain from scowling, quarreling, or criticizing anyone. 

Tết is a time for being with family, enjoying feasts, celebrating, and observing many customs. For example, unless asked, you should not set foot in anybody’s dwelling on the 1st day of Tết. In a number of households, the father, or sometimes the whole family, will be the first  to cross the threshold in the New Year. Many people pick out a propitious time and direction to leave the house before re-entering. (For the English among our readers...it's like the western custom of "first footing". )

For children it's a time for gifts, fun, and food.  Balloon vendors could be seen walking around everywhere, especially with tiger balloons.

The first day of Tết is reserved for family. On subsequent days there are many invitations for friends to visit.  Tomorrow, Doug and I have been invited to lunch at the home of a Vietnamese friend. It's an honor for us, but then having a foreigner in the house at Tết is supposed to bring good luck!

This will be a quiet week around our neighborhood, but as the students come back next weekend to begin the new semester, things will quickly revert to the hustle and bustle of people and traffic. And we'll settle into our routines and the familiar sounds of living on Chùa Láng street.

So...Chúc Mùng Năm Mói to all (Happy New Year), and go Detroit Tigers in 2010!