Going to the countryside market with my wife, cleaning the altar to welcome Tet
On December 27, DallaGrana Vincent Luke (born in 1985, American nationality) took advantage of his 7-day vacation to fly from Taiwan (China) to his wife's hometown in Hau Loc district, Thanh Hoa province to celebrate the traditional Vietnamese New Year.
Luke is a music teacher. In 2015, he married Hoang Thi Thuy (born in 1989). After getting married, the couple lived in Hanoi. In early 2022, they moved to Taiwan to work.
The American son-in-law helps his wife clean the altar and decorate the fruit tray for Tet (Photo: Provided by the character).
In ten years of living in Vietnam, Luke has returned to his wife's hometown to celebrate the traditional New Year eight times. "I really love Tet in Vietnam. It is a custom, a beautiful traditional culture. I love the atmosphere of the days leading up to Tet. People buy a lot of delicious food, decorate their houses, everyone is very happy," Luke shared.
Luke said that every time he returns to his wife's hometown to celebrate Tet, he and his wife often go to the market to buy peach blossoms, kumquats and food. He feels very happy when his wife teaches him how to clean the altar and prepare the fruit tray to burn incense for his grandparents and ancestors. Luke especially likes the atmosphere when everyone sits together in the yard to wrap banh chung.
"During Tet, everyone is full of energy, very affectionate and sharing with each other. I have the feeling that when people prepare for Tet, everyone feels proud of the food and drinks they buy, all of which are very delicious," said Mr. Luke.
Luke and his wife's family wrap banh chung (Photo: Provided by the character).
As the person who always stands by her husband's side, Ms. Hoang Thi Thuy said that Luke misses Tet in Vietnam like he misses Christmas in America. There are times when he is eager to return home early to prepare for Tet with his family.
Love Vietnamese cuisine, most afraid when being toasted
The American son-in-law said that because his wife's family is large and they only meet once a year, even though he tried to learn to pronounce Vietnamese clearly, he still couldn't remember all the family titles such as uncle, aunt, aunt, etc. and remember each person's name.
Luke also felt "shocked" about the first time he celebrated the traditional New Year in his wife's hometown. On New Year's Eve, the whole family sat down to eat dinner together, and he was constantly invited to drink. When he returned home, he was drunk and tired from the first to the second day of Tet.
"The first time I sat down to celebrate Tet with everyone, I saw everyone shouting 100% and drinking everything, so I followed suit. After the New Year's Eve, I was drunk and tired from the first to the second day. After many times like that, I got used to it and when someone offered me alcohol, I would ask to drink slowly," said Luke.
Luke and his family members take a photo to celebrate Tet (Photo: Character provided).
Although he has celebrated Tet in his wife's hometown 8 times, according to Luke, when meeting people, he always tries to ask more about Tet rituals, because he is afraid that if he does it wrong, people will be sad.
Luke also said that although he has been to many countries around the world, he considers Vietnamese cuisine to be the best. Among the dishes he has enjoyed, he likes breakfast dishes such as hu tieu, pho, banh cuon, banh cuon thit heo. In addition, he is also very passionate about fish sauce and spices used in preparing Vietnamese dishes.
"Vietnamese food is delicious and unforgettable after each time you eat it. Each dish has its own flavor, especially the spices and dipping sauces. For example, hot pot, I have eaten it in Thailand but when I returned to Vietnam, I found that hot pot in Vietnam is much more delicious," said Luke.
Luke said that this year, he and his wife will have 7 days off for Tet, and he plans to return to Taiwan to work on the 4th day of Tet. Therefore, he will take advantage of the remaining days to visit his wife's relatives and wish them a happy New Year.
The American-born son-in-law also confided that he loves the country and people of Vietnam very much. In the future, he will try to return to settle down and live in Vietnam.
Dantri.com.vn
Comment (0)