1. Từ vựng về Festivals

Tet holiday (Vietnamese New Year): Tết Nguyên Đán

Hung Kings Commemorations – 10/03: Giỗ Tổ Hùng Vương

Latern Festival – 15/1: Tết Nguyên tiêu- Rằm tháng Giêng

Mid-Autumn Festival – 15/8: Tết trung thu

New Year’s Day: Ngày đầu năm mới

New Year’s Eve: đêm giao thừa

Easter: Lễ Phục Sinh

May Day: Ngày quốc tế Lao động

Christmas: Lễ giáng sinh

Boxing Day: Ngày lễ tặng quà

Thanksgiving: Lễ Tạ Ơn

Halloween: Lễ hội hóa trang Halloween

Square glutinous rice cake: bánh chưng

Sticky cake: gạo nếp

Jellied meat: thịt đông

Pig trotters: chân giò

Dried bamboo shoots: măng khô

Lean pork paste: giò lụa

Pickled opinion: dưa hành

Pickle small leeks: củ kiệu

Roasted watermelon seeds: hạt dưa

Dried candied fruits: mứt

Fatty pork: mỡ lợn

Spring festival: hội xuân

Family reunion: đoàn tụ gia đình

Five-fruit tray: mâm ngũ quả

Dragon dancers: múa lân

Worship the ancestors: thờ cúng tổ tiên

Lucky money: tiền lì xì

Red envelope: phong bao lì xì

2. Các câu hỏi thường gặp về Festivals

How do you celebrate festivals in your country?

With each different festival, we have different traditional customs to celebrate. For example, during Tet, I will cook traditional Vietnamese dishes such as sticky rice, spring rolls, etc., and on Independence Day, I often go to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum to watch the flag-raising ceremony. However, what all festivals have in common is that I always try to spend as much time as possible with my family and close friends.

What special food and activities do you have for these festivals?

As I said above, Vietnam has many different major festivals throughout the year with special dishes and activities for each festival. If talking about the Mid-Autumn Festival, the five-fruit tray and moon cake will be typical traditional dishes. On the other hand, during the Cold Food Festival, many Vietnamese people like me often eat “banh troi” and “banh chay” to celebrate.

Besides, the activities are also extremely diverse. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, we often watch the lion dance and lantern procession together. But for the Cold Food Festival, making “banh troi” and “banh chay” with the whole family is a regular activity of many families.

How do you celebrate spring Festivals?

Spring festival in Vietnam is associated with family reunion atmosphere. All family members will come together, some may return to their hometown or visit ancestral graves to pay their respects. During this festival, temples are packed with people, and fireworks will appear on New Year's Eve all over the country to celebrate the beginning of a new year. We spend a lot of time making traditional dishes, decorating our houses with flowers such as peach and apricot flowers, and giving each other lucky money.

What’s your favourite festival of the year?

It is not easy to choose because Vietnam has many festivals all year round. However, one memory that I cannot forget is the Lantern Festival in Hoi An. This is a local festival because it only takes place in the citadel on the 14th day of every lunar month. Thousands of ornate lanterns light up the city that day, and candlelight ceremonies are also held at the temples.

I had been to this festival a few years ago and was very impressed with it. Whenever someone mentions “Vietnamese festival”, the image of lanterns and soft amber candles under the night sky of Hoi An pops up in my mind.

Hẹn gặp lại các bạn ở những bài học tiếp theo!