Children play “Beating sweet box” game at Consul General’s house on the traditional Vietnamese New Year. Photo by: Ngoc Pham
Education and Times Newspaper – With Vietnamese students, the moment of New Year’s Eve abroad was so strange. Although there were quiet surroundings, without fireworks and a festive mood, their souls were filled with love and warmth by messages and calls from their motherland!
Experiencing Tet, a Vietnamese traditional New Year celebration, abroad might make the celebration, memories, and love seem distant, but each Vietnamese person’s heart here was getting even closer through mutual affection through the traditional event.
Inviting neighbours to participate in Tet
The New Year of 2017 was the first Tet of Ms. Pham Thi Bich Ngoc, Doctoral Candidate, The University of Sydney, Lecturer at Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities (HCM USSH), Australian Award student, class 2016 – 2020, in Australia where she has been pursuing her doctoral degree at University of Sydney. She enjoyed Tet with her daughter and Vietnamese friends who stay in Australia for study or work.
Bich Ngoc recalled clearly her feelings of solitude and imbalance in the days ahead of Tet while calling home and updating preparations for Tet in Vietnam through Facebook. In Australia, Bich Ngoc and her friends did not have the day off for Tet, but coincidentally, the 1st and the 2nd day of Lunar New Year fell on the weekend, so they had more time to prepare for Tet celebrations at home.
Despite living far away from her family, Bich Ngoc and other students in Australia created Tet celebration atmosphere with traditional ceremonies. In Dulwich Hill where she stayed, there were friends from northern Vietnam who have substantial skills in making Chung cake (traditional and irreplaceable cake of Vietnamese people at Tet Holidays), thus they decided to make Chung cake in order to create a festive mood the same as at home
Pork, green beans, and glutinous rice were bought from a wholesale supermarket at reasonable price for the students’ budget. The wrapping consists of dried special leaves, called “la dong” sent from Vietnam and can be used after boiling. Pot and cake mould are borrowed from an Australian friend who is passionate about Vietnamese culture, he made the pot particularly for this special event.
Bich Ngoc remembers their concern over boiling the cake by fire in their yard as this would lead to a fire notice. Eventually, they decided to go to each neighbour’s house to explain that the method of making chung cake is considered as an important cultural feature in Tet celebrations by Vietnamese people. When hearing the explanation, their neighbours were happy, supportive, and joined this celebration with Vietnamese students .
Regarding house decorations, such as apricot blossom, peach blossom, traditional paintings were prepared thoroughly by Bich Ngoc and her home mates. Minh Thi, her daughter, was so excited to support them in colouring, cutting, sticking, and decorating with other people in the house.
The most special moment of Tet in Sydney to Ngoc and her friends, is the New Year meeting at the Consul General’s House with support from Consul General of Vietnam in Sydney – Mr. Hoang Minh Son. This was a joyful buffet party with peach flowers and Vietnamese traditional foods, such as homemade chung cakes, pork pies (chả), chickens, different types of fruit, goi cuon, bun cha, thit nuong, etc.
In addition, traditional games were organised at the event for children, such as “Hit the Pot”, which was modified to “Beating sweet box” for children, together with exciting musical performances. The atmosphere at this New Year meeting was warm and enjoyable as children have a chance to play games, enjoy sweets, and receive lucky money.
Older Vietnamese who come to Australian to visit relatives or take up permanent residence had the opportunity to make acquaintance with parents of their children’s friends, and they made appointments for additional gatherings. University students exchanged experiences and supported each other in their study. Especially, Vietnamese people in Australia brought their families to the house to share this celebration with the Consul General and students.
Bich Ngoc shared: “During Tet Celebration in Sydney, I strongly felt the sincere care and affection from professors at the university, from teachers at my daughter’s school, other Australian Awardees from different countries, and my neighbours”.
Tet is becoming a bridge bringing Vietnamese cultural values closer to Australia through people who live far away but treasure their homeland in their souls!
VSUWA members organized traditional Tet celebrations in 2017 at Kings Park, Perth City, Western Australia. (Tran Hung Thanh is the man standing, in a white shirt).
A mixture of remembrance and celebration
Tran Hung Thanh, an Australian Awards Scholarship student, is currently studying at the University of Western Australia – VSUWA (Vietnamese Students at the University of Western Australia). In recalling the Tet celebration abroad, his first thoughts were the memories.
Thanh shared in detail: “Firstly, I remembered my homeland. At the special time of New Year’s Eve, I deeply missed my homeland. At that moment in Vietnam, people were gathering to complete ancestor offerings, to go to pagodas, to gather “loc” for a fruitful new year. These are popular activities where I joined my family every year, thus as the New Year was approaching, these good memories became deeper for me. I have never felt strongly that I needed a Tet celebration so much.
Following this was my longing for family, relatives, and friends. Tet is a time for family reunion, friends and visits to relatives. It is a Vietnamese people’s custom to return home at Tet celebration regardless of their place or work. I have studied and had business trips far away from home but have never experienced Tet celebration without my family. The longing towards my family, relatives, and friends was unavoidable.
I also feel a bit isolated. Because in Australia in general and in Perth, in particular, there is no celebration called Tet and people still work and study as usual. This difference makes me feel sad in a new, strange city although I prepared carefully to avoid cultural shock.
However, after all, I felt warm and connected. Despite my memories home, my isolated feeling when having Tet far away, I had friends from Vietnam and other Asian countries to share New Year celebration with.”
Vietnamese Students at the University of Western Australia – VSUWA organised Tet celebrations by decorating houses, cooking Vietnamese traditional foods; some students went to pagodas to pray for peace and good health in the new year. All these activities created a Tet atmosphere the same as at home and connections among Vietnamese people abroad.
A memorable time of Tet celebration in Perth was enjoying Vietnamese Tet celebration with Australian friends. Hung Thanh thought this was a good opportunity to introduce Tet to international friends. According to him, it would be one of the best experiences which is difficult to have without studying abroad.
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Bich Ngoc shared: “After completing my course under the Australian Awards program, I will come back with my family, my homeland, and continue to realise my dreams and hopes. In my bag on the day of returning day, the memory of Tet celebration in Kangaroo land will be kept and appreciated”.
Hung Thanh shared: “Vietnamese students like us want to gain sufficient knowledge quickly, and in turn, we will be able to contribute to development of our homeland and Vietnamese universities upon our return”.
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(Source: http://giaoducthoidai.vn)
