Month: September 2022

On a rainy day in June, the weather, wet and windy, affected my emotions. I remembered that I didn’t feel well that day. However, I had to go out to run errands, making an attempt to seek something to eat because it is nearly midnight. I was starving. Suddenly, when I walked through the “ Pedestrian Street”, I was sightseeing the crowded street filled with many people. One of the Vietnamese restaurants located on the left side of the road, stood out with the sign “ Bun Bo Hue” which attracted me immediately. I decided to go to this restaurant without thinking. When I went there I was dazzled because the decoration of each item in there, glamorous with fairy lights and style tidy, was selected carefully by the owner from my own point of view. I waited for a few minutes at the counter and the waitress brought me upstairs. At that time, I chose the table next to the window to see the overview of Hanoi city. 

After I sit down, the waitress brought hot chocolate for me with a nice voice. She said that it is so cold outside, drink it will make you feel better instantly.” I looked straight into her eyes, round and twinkling eyes like the little star in the sky, impressed me. Especially having a good sense of style made her outstanding in front of the public. She asked me:” what types of food do you want to order?”, politely and happily. She said to me that “ Bun Bo Hue is the best choice in her restaurant”. Approximately 5 minutes later, another waitress had served the main course for me. Visually a steaming bowl of Bun bo Hue noodles looks scrumptious with colorful presentation: white from noodles, green from herbs, and red from the chili. It consisted of flat rice noodles and meat-based broth which was prepared and cooked carefully by the chef’s restaurant. From the first sip, I think that the soup broth, beef, pork, or chicken bones are simmered for hours so the soup came out really tasty. Additionally, Bun Bo Hue is accompanied by basil, fresh lime, chili, and other spices. I decided to put everything in my bowl, enjoy sourness, piquancy, and sweetness, which was combined together to create delicious dishes. This taste gilded onto my tongue. After I finished my meal, I said goodbye, paid the bill to the waitress and thank them for the meal. It was the best meal I have ever had. I went outside, gratified with the meal I just had. I didn’t even realize that the rain had gone away. Sun brought bright sunlight to the entire city, people started to hang out cheerfully. That was the last day I ate Bun Bo Hue in Vietnam before I started my new life in the U.S.

 Tet is considered one of the most well-known festivals in Vietnam, from the first day of the lunar calendar until at least the third day. Because it was the beginning of spring, which was a perfect time for a brand new start, even colorful flowers were blooming, birds were singing on tall branches of trees and said hello to the new beginning of the year. Tet is a special occasion to commemorate their ancestors and spend quality time with our beloved ones. 

  Since the Tet holiday plays a pivotal role in Vietnamese’s religious beliefs, traditionally, Vietnamese will decorate their houses with apricot blossom. People clean their homes, polish every utensil, and decorate their homes with kumquat trees, peach blossom branches, and a variety of other bright flowers to get rid of bad luck. In preparation for New Year’s Eve, I usually helped my parents with the housework and cooked dishes that they must have. I removed all the dust that covered the furniture and bookshelves, changed the bedsheets, and decorated the house. My hands were holding the brush; slowly, I wiped all the spider webs on the top of the closet that had been staying there during the year. The night before the first day of the year, all the members would sit around and talk under the shining sky full of stars about what we did, what we regretted, missed, and had achieved. 

    Food is also the indispensable part that makes Tet become a memorable holiday, and a dish that is seen as a necessary part of this holiday is Banh Chung. The dish, delicious and faithful, made the Tet holiday more colorful. It is a Savory sticky rice cake invented in the 18th century of Vietnam 4000 years ago. Banh Chung has a square shape representing the ground that wishes for prosperous harvests. Up to now, this has become the most famous and irreplaceable traditional Vietnamese food in Tet Holiday. The main ingredients are fresh pork with green beans covered by glutinous rice that shone like pearls and made the cake more stunning. Wrapped in green banana leaves, the whole Banh Chung had the green color and the better favor.

 Significantly, the Tet holiday becomes more special with the appearance of lucky money.,”Li xi,” or lucky money, is presented to youngsters to greet the new year. The elderly also get “li xi” from their offspring, along with a blessing for a healthy and peaceful new year. Additionally, money is kept in a red envelope to spread an inspirational message to have a full of blessing year to the givers. Apart from the money, the tiny red envelope has its significance. It signifies secrecy and privacy to avoid comparison; as adults, they want our children to believe lucky money is a New Year’s gift, rather than being envious of other children receiving less. 

Moreover, after having Tat Nien’s meal with plenty of delectable dishes, as usual, folks may enjoy fireworks in the open areas or stay at home to watch Tao Quan. During the Vietnamese New Year, the first guest to arrive at the house is believed to possess all of the family’s good fortune in their hands. Therefore, becoming the first person to enter somebody’s home in New Year depends on Vietnamese animal signs, hoping to be full of blessings.  

  This Tet holiday was full of Banh Chung’s flavors and enthusiasm for me because that was the last Tet I spent with my parents before studying abroad. Personally, on special occasions such as Tet Holiday, it is considered a national holiday and our cultural identity.