Ambassadors from France, Norway, India, Switzerland... expressed their love for traditional Vietnamese customs during Tet, such as flower markets, and shared their plans for Tet.
For the second year celebrating Lunar New Year in Vietnam, French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet decided to buy an ao dai and personally decorate peach blossoms and a vase of dahlias symbolizing wealth and luck. Recalling his Tet shopping story, Ambassador Oliver Brochet said he was very impressed with the ability of Vietnamese people when they could transport very large peach and kumquat trees on motorbikes. It was these very ordinary images that helped Ambassador Olivier Brochet understand more about Hanoi in particular and Vietnam in general.
 |
| Ambassador Olivier Brochet personally decorated the space to welcome Tet. (Photo: People's Army Newspaper) |
"I am impressed by Hanoi's cultural life. There are many cinemas and many theaters. The cultural life of Hanoians is extremely rich. I hope Hanoi can promote and spread the city's culture more strongly internationally," Ambassador Olivier Brochet shared and expressed his expectations for the relationship between the two countries in 2025: "In 40 years of renovation, Vietnam has always set ambitious goals. But more importantly, Vietnam always knows how to achieve the set goals. France is one of the first Western partners to accompany Vietnam's development process since the beginning of opening up. We continue to wish to accompany Vietnam in the new era."
“In my opinion, Tet is a microcosm, a celebration of Vietnam’s energy and ability to look to the future with optimism and courage. This is especially meaningful, after Vietnam showed remarkable resilience, as well as the ability to cope with the harsh consequences of Typhoon Yagi just a few months ago,” said Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam Thomas Gass.
 |
| Ambassador Thomas Gass at Hanoi Book Street on December 19. (Photo: People's Army Newspaper) |
Having visited many regions of Vietnam, Ambassador Thomas Gass planned to take advantage of the opportunity to explore the beauty of Pu Luong Nature Reserve (Thanh Hoa) and Cuc Phuong (Ninh Binh) during this year’s Lunar New Year holiday; and enjoy typical Vietnamese New Year dishes such as banh chung, che lam and ginger jam.
Ambassador Thomas Gass said: “The Vietnamese people’s enduring energy and resourcefulness always inspire me. Vietnam enters 2025 with many important national events. I wish the new year of At Ty will bring prosperity to Vietnam and open up new opportunities for all of us.”
After more than two years working in Vietnam, British Ambassador to Vietnam Iain Frew shared: “This is my third Tet in Vietnam and I have to say that after two and a half years living in Vietnam, I feel very happy and relaxed... Tet is different every year. The first year I was here before Tet and then returned to the UK during Tet, last year I stayed in Vietnam for the whole Tet holiday. What I find interesting is the way people celebrate Tet and the fact that Hanoi becomes very crowded and then very quiet. It is a very special time.”
Ambassador Iain Frew also said that he enjoyed the traditional Vietnamese customs during Tet such as worshiping the Kitchen Gods, as well as making banh chung - an experience that the diplomat found very interesting. “I learned more about these rich traditions, about the dishes and why some of them are associated with Tet. So for me, it was a wonderful time,” the Ambassador said.
Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Sandeep Arya said: "To me, the atmosphere of Tet in Vietnam is wonderful. Tet is an important holiday for Vietnamese people and is also a time of joy, happiness, hope, reunion and warmth.
Whenever I think of Tet, I think of good feelings. The streets on Tet are also more colorful than usual and have a very special bustling atmosphere, besides the appearance of peach blossoms, kumquat trees, and Chung cakes.
Tet in Vietnam also reminds me of Indian culture, because both our countries have a lunar calendar system based on the waxing and waning cycles of the moon. During Tet in India, we also go to temples, shrines, wear new clothes, pay respect to our ancestors, and enjoy typical dishes. The similarities in socio-cultural aspects between India and Vietnam are very interesting."
Sharing his experience of Vietnamese Tet, Dutch Ambassador Kees van Baar said he really enjoyed Vietnamese Tet.
“What I like is the excitement of the days before Tet. Especially the days when the whole city seems to turn into a park with mobile trees. During Tet, everyone buys trees to bring home, including kumquat trees, peach blossom trees, and plum blossom trees. People transport trees all over the city, bringing them to people to plant in their gardens or display in their homes. I like that very much. On New Year's Eve, my friends and I always go to watch fireworks at West Lake. On New Year's Day, we gather together, drink coffee together, eat together, celebrate and enjoy those special moments,” said Ambassador Kees van Baar.
 |
| Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam Hilde Solbakken (second from right) and the Ambassadors of Canada, New Zealand and Switzerland sing the song "What did you do last year" by musician Bui Cong Nam in Vietnamese. (Photo: VNA) |
Hilde Solbakken, Norwegian Ambassador, said that this year, her family will enjoy some quiet days in Hanoi at the beginning of Tet. "We will wander around the Old Quarter in Hanoi. Of course, we will decorate the peach tree in the house and will hang our wishes on the tree. Hopefully, we will also visit some beautiful pagodas in Hanoi," she said.
Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/dai-su-nuoc-ngoai-tai-viet-nam-tet-viet-trong-toi-la-209849.html
Comment (0)