You may find it confusing, why some Asian countries celebrate their new year on a different date. It is because their calendar follows the moon/lunar calendar while ours in North America and most of the world follows the Gregorian Solar calendar. Hence the saying Happy Lunar New Year.
New Year falls on the first new moon between Jan 21 and Feb 20, so the date changes from year to year. This year it falls on February 17. The calendar also consist of 12 zodiacs. This year of 2026 is the year of the horse and the element of Fire. It is a year full of passion, drive and momentum but can be impulsive and strong willed. It is a year to be aware of your temperament and yet to be open to your desires and dreams.
New years(also known as Tet in Vietnamese) is a time to be with family and to bring in good fortune and good health. There are special foods you eat such as the Bánh chưng, dressing in your best attire(traditionally in red, but we are seeing softer hues of pinks and blues), resting(people are off work for 1-4 weeks), cleaning and decorating the house, and listening to festive spring music.
I arrived on Feb 8th and Ho Chi Minh City was already in full swing. Streets were being blocked off to be decorated. People were practicing their choreography to dances and ceremonies holding Vietnamese flags. Thousands of flower pots lined the streets to be placed in their spot which would be later a scene or back drop of a statue. Each piece even the smallest marigold had a role in the grand play. It was all coming together like an orchestra tuning each string and reed before heaven unleashes her opus. I have never seen anything like it.
Was I still in Vietnam? This question was asked repeatedly by myself and my sisters? To answer that I will save for the last blog post and I will have an answer, but let’s get back to the grand play of Lunar New Year. Here are some photos, which does not capture the noise, the smells, the heat, the people, the buzzing atmosphere in the air. I really have no words, it feels like a surreal dream.
If you look closely, there is a photo of a horse in what appears to be tall grass. My sister Tu said it’s rice, that it was a rice paddy. I named my blog Rice Paddy because it was how I envisioned Vietnam with the rolling country sides and miles and miles of green rice paddies. The source of our nourishments. I was really captivated when I saw actual rice.
