Happy 4705 Lunar New Year

Chúc mừng năm mới! This is the Year of the Boar (year 4705). Based on the moon and sun movements, this new year falls on the 18th of February (Western Calendar). Tết, as we Vietnamese calls it, begins with the New Moon on the first day of the New Year and ends on the full moon 15 days later.

For millions of Asian throughout the world, Lunar New Year is very important. It is a traditional time of the year and also a chance for everybody to meet their relatives, friends, and of course par-tays! We prepare heaps of different foods and sweets, candies, beers (yum, Heineken) and soft drinks. My American friends and newer generation of Vietnam-americans don’t like the traditional cakes very much. The square cake, Bánh Chủng and Long cake, Bánh Dày are symbols of Land and God. To learn more, go here.

I went out to Eden Center to get some of them cakes. Got some plastic mai flowers for the family. Bought a few Tết cards (good gawd, they were so expensive, $3/card with envelops that don’t fit well) to mail out. I was looking for some firecrackers, particularly the braided string-of-50 Doughboy, but they don’t sell them anymore because of bodily injuries when explode. I asked the vendor, in Vietnamese, if he sells the powder so that I can make my own firecrackers. He gave me a weird look, so I walked away. I realize that there are illegal ways of obtaining firecrackers; I just don’t have the connections, so I ask random people, that’s all. I also realize the danger of handling the explosives. I hear that kids light up the noisemakers, throw them in the crowd then run away, leaving the unfortunate victims with burn degrees. Speaking of which, if you go to Chùa Giác-Hoàng this Tết, be careful of them irresponsible kids, and I mean my cohorts of 18-30 years of age. They’re stubborn and annoying.

At any rate, Happy Lunar New Year. I really want one of these t-shirts, the "What the (con) heo?!" one. Kid size, please, tee hehe. Below is a poem I stumbled upon, written by Trần Tế Xương:

New Year Tết
Anh em đừng nghĩ Tết tôi nghèo,
Tiền bạc trong kho chưa lãnh tiêu,
Rượu cúc nhắm đến hàng biếng quảy,
Trà sen muô'n hỏi giá còn kiêu,
Bánh đường sắp gói e nồm chảy,
Giò lụa toan làm sợ nắng thiu,
Thôi thế thì thôi đành Tết khác,
Anh em đừng nghĩ Tết tôi nghèo.

Here is the English translation:

Friends, don't think I'm poor this Tết!
I haven't yet withdrawn money from my safe
My chrysanthemum wine, they deliver it late;
And the lotus tea, the price is still bargained for,
For my sweet cakes, I'm afraid they would run down
At the heat, the same as my pork pastes.
Come on, never mind, let's wait until next year
Friends, don't think I'm poor this Tết.

Cung chúc tân xuân, năm Đinh Hợi, oink oink!

Update (2/18/2007): I went to the Zen Buddhist temple and got my blessings. Then I went gambling at a friend's basement and lost a lot of those blessings. Here's to the new year. I had fun though. Ya'll be careful out there. Drive carefully in the snow storm if you must. Watch out for the ice as you walk. I fell already, so I'm good for the rest of winter.