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For this African son-in-law, Vietnam’s traditional Lunar New Year carries a special meaning, allowing each person to truly feel the warmth of family.
Excited to celebrate Vietnamese Tet
H Thin Bya (36, an E De woman from Dak Lak) and Mozie Uchenna Clement (a Nigerian national) once captured social media attention with their cross-border love story that lasted a full decade. The couple officially married in 2023 after meeting in person only twice.
After the wedding, they chose to live and work in Vietnam. Mozie is happy to be a son-in-law in Dak Lak. However, he spends most of his time working in Ho Chi Minh City and returns to Dak Lak once or twice a month to visit his wife, their child and her family.
Before marrying Bya, Mozie had lived in China for several years and was already familiar with the concept of Lunar New Year. Yet it was not until he became a son-in-law in Dak Lak, celebrating Tet in the embrace of family, that he fully grasped the depth of this special occasion.
“Tet 2024 was the first time Mozie celebrated Vietnamese Tet. It was also our first New Year together after so many years apart.
I took him to the Tet market and taught him how to wrap banh tet. He did everything with excitement and joy. Perhaps that was the Tet we will remember most vividly, filled with emotion,” Bya shared.
According to Bya, Tet among the E De people includes traditional rituals such as visiting the graves of loved ones, cleaning and decorating the house, preparing the year-end feast, making offerings at midnight on New Year’s Eve and paying New Year visits.
Mozie took part in every activity with enthusiasm. Whenever he did something with his wife, he would ask about its meaning. And as he came to understand the significance behind each custom, he grew to appreciate Tet even more.
“Every Tet, he helps me clean and decorate the house. He especially enjoys wrapping banh tet. Our family often cooks the cakes overnight, and he is willing to stay up with my father to add water and firewood so they cook properly.
Visiting the graves to light incense on the morning of the first day of Tet also made him curious. I explained that it is a way to remember and honor loved ones who have passed away. He was deeply moved,” Bya recounted.
Mozie is also proactive in preparing the year-end and New Year offerings on the evenings of the last day of the year and the mornings of the first three days. In the past, most of the preparations were handled by Bya’s mother. Since Mozie joined the family, the African son-in-law has become a reliable helping hand.
Bya revealed that Mozie prepares chicken quickly and skillfully. He does not hesitate to stand beside his mother-in-law, carefully arranging the offering trays to present to the ancestors at the turn of the year.
In love with one Tet dish
Bya shared that the Tet meal of the E De community typically includes boiled chicken, braised pork in caramel sauce, aspic, pumpkin soup, ca dang and several other pork-based dishes.
Among them, two dishes have completely won over the African son-in-law: mashed ca dang and pumpkin soup.
Mashed ca dang is a Central Highlands specialty known for its gentle bitterness, heat and rich texture. The bitter eggplants are soaked in salted water to reduce their sharpness, then pounded with bird’s eye chili, wild shallots or small onions, herbs and dried fish to create a thick mixture best enjoyed with hot rice.
At first, Mozie was slightly cautious about the dish’s bitterness and spiciness. Yet after trying it a few times, he found himself irresistibly drawn to its distinctive Central Highlands flavor.
“He also enjoys braised ca dang with fish and ca dang soup. As for my mother’s pumpkin soup, he says he absolutely loves it because it tastes so unique and delicious.
My mother cooks very well. He often jokes that ‘Mom is number one,’” Bya said with a laugh.
Tet 2026 will be even more special for Bya and Mozie as they celebrate with their one-year-old son. The couple has no plans to travel far. For them, the most complete Tet is simply gathering with family, decorating the house, wrapping banh tet, preparing offerings and sharing the festive feast.
“My husband often says Vietnamese Tet is like Christmas in his hometown. Everyone looks forward to it because it is a time to reunite with loved ones.
He always feels fortunate that, even thousands of kilometers away from home, he can still feel the warmth of family,” Bya expressed.
Thanh Minh
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