Tag Archives: Vietnamese

Lunar New Year

AGE: 20 

Date of performance: 04/30/2025

Occupation: Student 

Primary Language: English 

Title-   Tết

Context- J is a Vietnamese-American student who celebrates Vietnamese holidays and festivals in the US. J tells about Tết, explaining “I celebrate Tết, which is lunar new year/Vietnamese new year. Usually kids get li xi which is lucky money (money in red envelopes) from adults but before they get it, they have to say good things/wish for good things to the adults before they receive it such as saying “I hope this year has a lot in store for you such as good fortune, a long life, good health, etc” and then the adults wish for good for the children as well. You eat a variety of dishes and celebrate the elderly who have passed away during that time by lighting incense on an altar displayed at home. People also go to a whole bunch of temples where they pray to Buddha and get blessings from monks.”

Analysis- J shares a traditional celebration of the Lunar New Year within Vietnamese culture—a popular holiday that is celebrated in Asia. Tết is a vibrant example of folklore as traditional rituals and customs within the Vietnamese community come together and are celebrated in honor of cultural identity. Some rituals within the celebration are the money in the red envelopes, which symbolize good fortune for the elderly and young. Although the Vietnamese celebration is unique, the theme of good fortune is common amongst East Asian countries. Oicotypes of certain elements such as the red envelopes convey how folklore is adaptable to its respective culture without losing its true identity.

Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival

AGE: 20 

Date of performance: 04/30/2025

Occupation: Student 

Primary Language: English 

Title-   Tết Trung Thu

Context- J shares a Vietnamese festival he celebrates to commemorate the fall season— “Usually we go to this big Vietnamese church where they hold fall fest and usually you just sit around and listen to a whole bunch of live music. There’s also different performances like the lion/dragon dance and you eat moon cake. It’s a time for family to hang around and spend time with each other where you play different viet games like lotto (Vietnamese bingo) and an animal gambling game where you put money on a certain animal and roll a dice and if the dice is a picture of your animal, you win money.”

Analysis- J tells about the Vietnamese mid-autumn festival filled with games and money, paired with ritual food and performances. Specifically, the lion/dragon dance takes place. These dances are typically high energy in extravagant costumes made with bright colors as a way to manifest good fortune and deter bad spirits. The theme of good fortune is common not only throughout the Vietnamese culture, but East Asia as well. J also mentions the eating of moon cake, which symbolizes completeness and unity. Tết Trung Thu is a living example of folklore as traditions, customs, rituals and cultural identity are celebrated when the festival is celebrated. There are symbolic rituals such as the lion/dragon dance, and traditional foods like the moon cake.

Vietnamese Tradition: Lunar New Year Outfits

Context:

Informant G is a 20 year old Cinema and Media Studies major from The Inland Empire in Southern California. Her family is primarily Vietnamese and Cambodian, and G lived in Vietnam for periods of time as a child. She is a junior at USC.

Text:

Please excuse any grammar issues, these are direct text message quotes. G sent me a photo of herself and her older sister wearing áo dài. She said the following:

“During Lunar New Year (Tết in Vietnamese) most people wear áo dài which is the traditional Vietnamese dress/costume/outfit. Although, it’s not exclusively worn during Lunar New Years, most people buy new áo dàis or wear their best one as a way to start the new year off well.”

When I asked about further significance in the type of áo dài, she replied

“they more symbolize the significance of an event, like people can wear it in their casual life but the fancier an áo dài the more formal/significant an event is”

“the color is also very important (not as much any more) but during Tet a lot of people wear red áo dài because it represents luck and prosperity”

Interpretation:

There are a number of significant details in this anecdotal description. For one thing, G clearly indicates an association with life cycle. There is a purpose in the kind of áo dài worn as one enters the new year. She mentions that people might “buy new áo dàis” – perhaps as a physical representation of newness – or wear their best one as a way of instating luck. G explained that áo dài is a Vietnamese garment that can be worn casually, but a fancier one is considered more formal and correlates with the event for which it’s worn. G also mentions that the color red has some significance. I find this interesting because, though Vietnam is considered a Southeast Asian country, imperialism brought bits of Chinese culture into Vietnamese culture, and the East Asian significance of the color red has been part of Vietnamese tradition, too. Traditions done for the purpose of bringing luck into the new year are incredibly common (ie: Latin Americans eating 12 grapes or bringing a suitcase around the block) – they are meant to induce prosperity, and multiple aspects of wearing fancy, or sometimes red áo dài reflect that folkloric commonality.

Vietnamese Celebration of Life After Death

Tags: Death Rituals, Vietnamese, Money, Symbolic Burning

Text

Every year, on the death of someone in the family, fake money and objects symbolizing wealth are burned as an offering to the dead.

Informant Info

Race/Ethnicity: Vietnamese

Age: 20

Occupation: College Student

Residence: Northwest Arkansas, USA

Date of Performance: March 2024

Primary Language: English

Other Language(s): N/A

Relationship: Sister

Context

GP, the informant, was born and raised in Northwest Arkansas (NWA) to Vietnamese parents.

Analysis

In Vietnamese culture, it is important for them to remember the dead. In doing so, those who are alive must offer food or other material items to help them ease into the afterlife.

Vietnamese New Year’s Superstition

Tags: Superstition, Vietnamese, Money, New Years

Text

On New Year’s Day, if you want an [financially] abundant year, you should not spend any money.

Informant Info

Race/Ethnicity: Vietnamese

Age: 20

Occupation: College Student

Residence: Northwest Arkansas, USA

Date of Performance: March 2024

Primary Language: English

Other Language(s): N/A

Relationship: Sister

Context

GP, the informant, was born and raised in Northwest Arkansas (NWA) to Vietnamese parents.

Analysis

This tradition happens as a means of bringing in good financial luck. Practices like this are very common in Vietnamese culture during prominent holidays/dates. These practices are usually done to bring in good luck, good fortune, and good health.