Time has come and gone by fast as when people grow old. Every year many people around the world celebrate New Year to say goodbye to the past year and welcome another one come by. Like any cultures around the world celebrates New Year, in Asia Lunar New Year is the traditional holidays that people celebrates that year according to the moon 's calendar. Viet Nam is also one of the countries celebrates Lunar New Year. However, before Vietnamese people left their country, they learned and follow their own traditional lifestyle of Lunar New Year celebration. After the Viet Nam war, Vietnamese expatriated left their homeland to another country to find freedom, a better life, and a better community. At the same time, they won 't forget their own traditional holiday of celebrating Lunar New Year in a new land, because they would hope for a freedom come in their land and the happiness to
For example, Vietnamese has Red Envelope which means for the prosperity and luck that blessed from the elder to a younger person. It is also mean for many exchange good wishes, longevity, prosperity and wealth for the happiness for the coming year with a person got blessed. As for foods, nothing can replace to sticky rice and dried young bamboo soup in Vietnamese New Year 's dinner. It is a must have for a tradition Vietnamese 's New Year dine and also a believed to be a good lucks and a great fairy tale story behind New Year foods dine. Furthermore, with decoration of believing in charms, Vietnamese decorate their house with flower plants like cherry blossoms, yellow apricot blossom to welcome a new year to come by. The flower plants mean to bring a new season of spring into the family, a feeling of happiness, warmth, colorful to many Vietnamese homes and a blessed feeling luck
Reading Catfish and Mandala reminded me of my cultural closeness through food. Due to being bi-ethnic I learned how to cook food from both my ethnicities, however there were times when I found myself acting like a foreigner towards certain dishes. A prime example was when I had Chitlins or pig intestines. I had eaten menudo, thanks to my Hispanic mother and this was the first time I had Chitlins, an African American dish via my paternal grandmother. Unlike Menudo, which to me has an appetizing smell and taste, Chitlins were a gray stringy putrid smelling dish. Remembering the utter dislike I obtained from that African American dish, reminded me of Pham’s experience with Vietnamese food. While there are some dishes people can’t stand, most usually embrace a dish from their culture and that helps ease some of the pain or discomfort.
When a person's faith is also an alternative for their culture and morals, it proves challenging to take that sense of security in that faith away from them. In Night, Elie Wiesel, a Jewish student living in Sighet, Transylvania during the war of 1942, uses his studies in Talmud and the Kabbalah as not only a religious practice but a lifestyle. Elie and his fellow civilians are warned, however, by his Kabbalah teacher who says that during the war, German aggressors are aggregately imprisoning, deporting, and annihilating millions of Jews. When Elie and his family are victim of this aggression, Elie realizes how crucial his faith in God is if he is to survive the Holocaust. He vows after being separated from his mother and sisters that he will protect he and his father from death, even though as death nears, Elie gradually becomes closer to losing his faith. In the end, to Elie's devastation, Elie makes it out of the Holocaust alone after his father dies from the intense seclusion to malnutrition and deprivation. Elie survives the Holocaust through a battle of conscience--first by believing in God, then resisting his faith in God, and ultimately replacing his faith with obligation to his father.
Durian fruit. When people ask me how I feel about my Vietnamese culture, the first thing that comes to mind is durian fruit. Unlike the strawberries or cherries found at Safeway, durian fruit at first glance does not even look edible. The entire fruit resembles a dirty old football, except that durian weighs nearly three pounds. One-inch spikes and a tough brown outer peel cover the fruit, giving it an intimidating look. Inside, yellow, kidney-shaped pieces line the peel like orange slices. As a child, I hated durian. I refused to even taste it. Later on, when I was older, my mother bribed me with two dollars to try the meaty flesh. I fell in love with the fruit instantly. Its heavenly aroma tantalized my olfactory senses. The fleshy kidney-shaped parts felt as smooth as butter inside my mouth.
Nguyễn, Văn Huy, and Laurel Kendall. Vietnam: Journeys of Body, Mind, and Spirit. Berkeley: U of California in Association with American Museum of Natural History, New York, and Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Hanoi, 2003. Print.
Vietnam has gone through a major change during and after the Vietnam War. In the beginning the country’s citizens were fighting with the help of America to gain control of their government. Refugees are people who solely have a push factor of migration. They have to leave their country and usually do not have a specific destination in mind. Refugees are due to political reasons or war, there status has been legally recognized since the 1950’s. Vietnamese refugees coming into America were introduced by the Communist regime taking over after the Vietnam War. There are three major waves of Vietnamese immigration. There come many struggles to gaining citizenship, finding a stable job, immersing with American culture, and
Vietnamese festival for celebrating the lunar New Year. On the first day of the festival,
The main coping mechanism, then, became suppressing of the memories and emotions attached to the traumas of the Vietnam Wars. Their home served as the host of these demons, but the demons impacted parenting styles. Thi acknowledges that her parents taught her and her siblings many lessons, some intentional but others, quite the contrary. It was the “unintentional ones [that] came from their unexorcised demons and from the habits they formed over so many years of trying to survive;”(“The Best We Could Do,” 295) these lessons were indeed unintentional because just like the suppressed communication, they derived weak communication between the parents and the children. In Min Zhou’s article “Are Asians Becoming ‘White’?” she concludes by including a picture of a Vietnamese family celebrating the 1998 Lunar Year, looking happy. This happy family in the article is much like the Bui family because on the outside, they appeared happy, but inside their home and their hearts, a darkness
The article "Year-Round Education: Is Summer Vacation over...Forever?" an article in The Week Magazine, "The students learning and experience during the summer after school is over" ("Year-Round"). Year round education (YRE) is a traditional school schedule in the United States of America provides nine-months of instruction and three month summer vacation. YRE has been present in society since the early 1900's (Bussard). At the end of the 180 day, the teachers and students have enjoyed a relaxing vacation during three month long summer breaks. Schools will continue to follow 180 days system on the calendar; yet, these will have a shorter every term. The traditional calendar is simply changing the instruction and summer vacation that all the all students and staff are in school or vacation at the same time. Many people thought YRE is a good idea for students to improve academic achievement; but there are several reasons why going to school all year round is a bad idea against YRE because the family tradition, work experience, and air conditioning.
What do you think about going to school year round with little breaks here and there, but not your traditional three month summer break? Year round schooling has been a decision argued with the government, teachers, principals and parents. Many kids and adults like to relax on their three month break. Many students are used to having two week winter break, one week spring break, and three months of summer break. Overall, one three month break would benefit than having three-week breaks broken up throughout the school year.
The Chinese New Year is a huge festival celebrated all over the country, it’s the most important festival celebrated on the calendar (13). The Chinese use a lunar calendar for their festivals so the date of the Chinese New Year is different each year (13). The date corresponds to the new moon in either late January or February (13). This is a time of good fortune and happiness. It is also considered the beginning of spring so; many also call it the spring festival (13).
In Chinese culture, Chinese New Year is the greatest and biggest time of the year. Chinese New Year lasts for fifteen days. Chinese New
Frosty the Snowman waves hello alongside Santa 's reindeer that are ready to take off. Candy canes line the sidewalk and the ginger bread dolls dance in a merry circle. The trees all sparkle with thousands of red, yellow, purple, blue, and orange lights. Out back, Mary and Joseph stand over baby Jesus, Choo-Choo train’s chug in spot, stars twinkle with bright yellow bulbs, and Mr. and Mrs. Santa Clause wave in the distance. Kerkhoven, MN, the location of the happiest house on the block. Every year my breath is always taken away as my eyes struggle to soak in the utter abundance of Christmas spirit. I 'm smiling and we 're not even inside yet.
Christmas is the most popular holiday in all of the land. Mostly everyone loves Christmas. There are three categories of Christmas people. Number one; the haters. They despise Christmas and think it is the devil and nothing good comes from lying to children and giving gifts for absolutely no reason at all. Number two; the average person. The ones who just buy the gifts, wear the holiday sweaters, and go to the annual Christmas gathering at Grandma’s where gifts and laughs are exchanged. Number three; the die hard Santa’s of the group. The few mothers or fathers who decorate the day after Halloween to get into the Christmas spirit. The tree is up on November first and the Christmas lights are hung all year round. They make sure to go black friday shopping to get everyone a gift, even cousin Nicholas, who is three times removed. Christmas is
The beginning of the festivals of Hong Kong starts with the much celebrated Chinese New Year. This day is celebrated with utmost fervour
Chinese New Year is the most widely celebrated tradition in Asia. The tradition is usually celebrated on the first day of the first month on the Chinese Lunar calendar. This tradition is rooted in centuries-old customs and is one of the most popular public holidays in China. Apart from China, this tradition is also celebrated in many Asian countries like Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan. There are many values and rituals tied with this tradition. For example, people would wear red clothing, decorate the house with red paper, and give children "lucky money" in red envelopes. According to legend, it is said that red can drive away bad luck, which is why the color red is highly emphasized. In myths, our ancestors would light bamboo stalks, believing that the crackling flames would scare off evil spirits. This is why fireworks and firecrackers are set off during this special tradition. Other values and traditions during Chinese New Year dinner such as eating specific dishes during the New Years Eve Dinner, exchanging red envelopes, and cleaning the house. These traditions all emphasize one value: the importance of family reunion during Chinese New Year. Family reunion is essential because it is a time to interact with family and friends who often times do not live nearby. Family and relatives will plan their schedules around Chinese New Year dinner, instead of taking family for granted. Adults also teach children important tradition and lessons during Chinese New Year so that when they grow older, they would continue this tradition with their families.