Knock knock! Vietnam’s traditional lunar new year (otherwise know as Tet) is knocking on every family’s door. Whether you have experienced it once, twice, or never before, it matters not at all, because Tet is always new for Vietnamese people.
They all get excited, despite the fact that their country is the land of year round festivals. Each year, Tet comes with new wishes and feelings of happiness. Tet is the greatest annual event for every person, regardless of age, job and social status.
The guest this month is a foreign teacher who has already tasted the unique atmosphere of Tet with his Vietnamese students and friends. New year customs vary from country to country, he observes, but they have a lot in common as well.
Raffaele Contardi, 50, first come here in November 2000 and is now working in the Cultural Section of the Italian Embassy. A professor of Italian language and culture, he also gives language lessons to students of Hanoi University of Foreign Studies.
“ When I came to Hanoi, it was just before Christmas. I saw many people going to church, so it did not occur to me that Vietnamese people also had a great traditional holiday of their own. So when Tet came, I was surprised because everyone seemed so happy.”
Curiosity led him to taste Banh trung (the must – have traditional Tet offerings made from sticky rice, green beans, pork, pepper and sail, wrapped in banana-like dzong leaves and boiled for half a day). He found it delicious, but he could only manage to eat a small piece – of course, it was nothing like his habitual pasta and pizza.
During his first Tet he spent lost of time walking around Hoan Kiem Lake and visiting pagodas, just as the locals do. He also bought a big kumquat tree to decorate his house. “ It is quite different from our traditional Christmas tree, but it arouses the same feelings”
“I like seeing people feeling happy, thinking of friends and relatives, and giving presents to each other at Tet. That’s exactly what Italians do at Christmas.”
The professor enjoys his life in Hanoi – partly because he is so popular with his students. He proudly shows me letters from some of them. After just a few moths making the acquaintance of a new language, they can write to him in Italian to express such sweet sentiments as “You are my sunshine, and when you smile you look nicer than the sun”. He grins broadly.
“ After Tet, we visited the Perfume Pagoda. It was quite a climb to get there. But it was really fun when we went on a two day trip to Mai Chau (a Muong Nah White Thai village north-west of Hanoi), stayed in stilt houses and joined in the local dances.”
In his country, the dances are very different to those of Vietnam. He thought it looked simple, but it turned out anything but people sit moving long bamboo poles up and down, to the right and left, to count out the rhythm. The dancers have to know when to put their feet on the floor and when to quickly step back so the sticks don’t rap their ankles. “ But I couldn’t do it – I kept hopping about to void them. It was really funny.”
Of course there were other differences between celebrating Tet in Vietnam and Christmas in his hometown of Arcevia. Just for starters, Vietnamese people are shy about kissing, but that’s almost second nature for Italians.
When he is not lecturing, he often hangs out with his Vietnamese friends. Born on April 30, Victory Day in Vietnam, he always has a happy birthday because there is big celebration all over the city. And also there, he seems many supporters of his favorite football team, Juventus.
He ends our chat bay telling me how great it makes him feel to run five circuits of Hoan Kiem Lake every Saturday and Sunday morning. “ It takes me 48 minutes,” he notes proudly.
The only teacher of Italian in Hanoi was excited about this Tet, because he has been invited to visit many of his students’ families, it could be his happiest Tet yet, he believes.
They all get excited, despite the fact that their country is the land of year round festivals. Each year, Tet comes with new wishes and feelings of happiness. Tet is the greatest annual event for every person, regardless of age, job and social status.
The guest this month is a foreign teacher who has already tasted the unique atmosphere of Tet with his Vietnamese students and friends. New year customs vary from country to country, he observes, but they have a lot in common as well.
Raffaele Contardi, 50, first come here in November 2000 and is now working in the Cultural Section of the Italian Embassy. A professor of Italian language and culture, he also gives language lessons to students of Hanoi University of Foreign Studies.
“ When I came to Hanoi, it was just before Christmas. I saw many people going to church, so it did not occur to me that Vietnamese people also had a great traditional holiday of their own. So when Tet came, I was surprised because everyone seemed so happy.”
Curiosity led him to taste Banh trung (the must – have traditional Tet offerings made from sticky rice, green beans, pork, pepper and sail, wrapped in banana-like dzong leaves and boiled for half a day). He found it delicious, but he could only manage to eat a small piece – of course, it was nothing like his habitual pasta and pizza.
During his first Tet he spent lost of time walking around Hoan Kiem Lake and visiting pagodas, just as the locals do. He also bought a big kumquat tree to decorate his house. “ It is quite different from our traditional Christmas tree, but it arouses the same feelings”
“I like seeing people feeling happy, thinking of friends and relatives, and giving presents to each other at Tet. That’s exactly what Italians do at Christmas.”
The professor enjoys his life in Hanoi – partly because he is so popular with his students. He proudly shows me letters from some of them. After just a few moths making the acquaintance of a new language, they can write to him in Italian to express such sweet sentiments as “You are my sunshine, and when you smile you look nicer than the sun”. He grins broadly.
“ After Tet, we visited the Perfume Pagoda. It was quite a climb to get there. But it was really fun when we went on a two day trip to Mai Chau (a Muong Nah White Thai village north-west of Hanoi), stayed in stilt houses and joined in the local dances.”
In his country, the dances are very different to those of Vietnam. He thought it looked simple, but it turned out anything but people sit moving long bamboo poles up and down, to the right and left, to count out the rhythm. The dancers have to know when to put their feet on the floor and when to quickly step back so the sticks don’t rap their ankles. “ But I couldn’t do it – I kept hopping about to void them. It was really funny.”
Of course there were other differences between celebrating Tet in Vietnam and Christmas in his hometown of Arcevia. Just for starters, Vietnamese people are shy about kissing, but that’s almost second nature for Italians.
When he is not lecturing, he often hangs out with his Vietnamese friends. Born on April 30, Victory Day in Vietnam, he always has a happy birthday because there is big celebration all over the city. And also there, he seems many supporters of his favorite football team, Juventus.
He ends our chat bay telling me how great it makes him feel to run five circuits of Hoan Kiem Lake every Saturday and Sunday morning. “ It takes me 48 minutes,” he notes proudly.
The only teacher of Italian in Hanoi was excited about this Tet, because he has been invited to visit many of his students’ families, it could be his happiest Tet yet, he believes.
