Tết, Tết, Tết, Tết, Xong Rồi … Tet is Over

We’re in the 9th day of the Tet Lunar New Year 2016 (that’s a Judeo-Christian year, by the way) and, for all practical purposes, the holiday festivities are over here in Saigon.

Homes and businesses have been cleaned for the year and now begin their decline; deceased ancestors have been invited back to visit their living relatives and presumably, by now, have returned to whence they came; extreme amounts of food and beer have been consumed … 90,000 have been hospitalized from traffic accidents (any relationship there?); beaches across the country have been swarmed with travelers for the past week, and in the short-lived empty streets of Saigon, traffic chaos has returned.

But, what fun it’s been!

As always, Hai’s restaurant was converted into a temple/party hall for Tet New Year’s Eve.

Dozens of relatives gathered AFTER midnight to begin to welcome in the Year of the Monkey. Classic Tet food was aplenty, as was the festive mood and music.

 

And this year, as a special treat, Hai invited an American family who,the night before, had enjoyed a Dinner With a Local Saigon Family (with Chị Hạnh – Hai’s sister #5) to participate in the festivities. They welcomed the invitation and were excited to participate – even after being warned that they would need to hand out red envelopes filled with cash to countless numbers of children!

Fun was had by all … especially when the Americans launched their own Tet offensive, firing their missiles into the streets of Saigon … or trying to, at least (see video) … Is this how the American War was lost??

And then, for Hai and I, it was off to Phu Quoc Island for several days of sun and fun … but that’s another post.

~ One last time for this year ~

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới everyone!