Family gathers, stays up all night to watch over the pot of Tet banh chung

Adults and children gather and stay up all night in many alleys in Hanoi to watch over the pot of Tet banh chung.

In many streets and small alleys of Hanoi, many families begin to gather and stay up all night around a pot of steaming banh chung.

Mr. Han (64 years old), living on Khuong Dinh street (Thanh Xuan district), said: "This year, my family started boiling banh chung from the 25th of the 12th lunar month, and every day on the 29th of Tet, the fire is red like this. Homemade banh chung is mainly served to relatives, family, and neighbors around the area."

Mr. Han said that to cook banh chung, his family prepared 3 different pots, the smallest pot can cook about 80, the medium pot can cook about 100, the largest pot can cook about 120. This year, his family cooked more than 2,000, about 350 banh chung each day.

Ms. Tuyen's extended family gathered together to watch over the pot of banh chung in a small alley on Vu Tong Phan street.

Ms. Tuyen said: "About 12 years ago, when I became a daughter-in-law, the family had a tradition of making banh chung for Tet. This is also the occasion every year when the family can gather together most fully."

Children are taught how to boil banh chung by adults, and the whole family watches the pot of banh chung together.

Banh chung is boiled in the traditional way for 12 hours before it can be taken out, not to mention having to continuously supply water and firewood so that the banh chung is cooked evenly.

Pots of steaming banh chung on the sidewalks, in small alleys in Hanoi, an image that can only be seen on the last days of the year.

In a corner of the yard in lane 342 Khuong Dinh (Thanh Xuan district), Ms. Hong Tam and her family of three generations of children and grandchildren stay up together to watch over the pot of banh chung and the red fire.