The MAG Vietnam Vol 5 Jan 2015 | Page 23

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới (" Chook moon nam moy !") And don ’ t forget the lucky envelope .
Culture
Visitor ’ s difficult task with many taboos
When entering Vietnamese ’ s house for the first time of the year , a visitor is required to remember the taboos as well . The guest should wear the bright clothes that appropriate with the occasion , and black and white combined is definitely unacceptable , since they are mourning colors . People all avoid getting angry and saying words relating to unfortunate topics like death , accident , failure or breaking up . Normally , girls and women are not selected to be the first visitors , especially if she is pregnant or just gave birth . The guest is expected to be a man who has an open personality and achieved much success the previous year .
Understanding the significance of “ xong dat ” in Vietnamese ’ s belief , on the first day of New Year , before paying a visit to friends or relatives ’ house , people often call to ask whether the hosts have welcomed them as the first visitor or not , as being an unwilling guest may make both the visitor and the host confused and feel inconvenient .
Đưa Ông Bà
25th of December is a special day leading up to Tet . Đưa Ông Bà meaning all the dead people in the family will go away to see Buddha for few days . During this time no fruit or food are place onto the altar until 30th December , the day they come back home .
What people often wish each other during Tet .
Tet holidays are the moments of happiness and family enjoy , therefore Vietnamese often dedicate the most beautiful words to their family and friends on this occasion . Here is the list of the most common ones :
1 - Năm mới dồi dào sức khỏe : I wish you a healthy new year 2 - Năm mới tấn tài tấn lộc : I wish you a wealthy new year 3 - Năm mới thăng quan tiến chức : I wish that you will get promoted in the new year 4 - Năm mới toàn gia bình an : I wish that the new year will bring health to all your family 5 - Năm mới thắng lợi mới : New year , new triumphs ( often heard in political speech ) 6 - Vạn sự như ý : All wishes come true 7 - Chúc hay ăn chóng lớn : Eat more , grow rapidly ( for children ) 8 - Chúc mau chóng tìm được người yêu : New lover will come in the new year ( for single people ) 9 - Tiền vào nhu nước sông Đà , tiền ra nhỏ giọt như cà phê phin : Money influx is as strong as Da ' s river ; expenditure is as little as dripping coffee
Still there are plenty of wishes that people send to each others in Tet holiday , this list is simply an overview . Use them and impress your friends this coming Tet !

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới (" Chook moon nam moy !") And don ’ t forget the lucky envelope .

The MAG Vung Tau 23