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 Years Day: Ngày đầu năm mới
New Years 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.
Whats 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!