VietNamNet Bridge – The Hungarian Ambassador to Vietnam Vizi Lászlo has enjoyed four Vietnam’s lunar New Year (Tet) holidays. For him, the Vietnamese Tet is like Christmas in his country, which is "family event”, the time for relaxation, entertainment and enjoying food after a hard-working year.

After four Tet holidays, the ambassador knows exactly what he should do at Tet: go to the Quang Ba flower market, watch fireworks show at the West Lake on the New Year Eve, prepare small money as Tet gifts and… prepare to visit Vietnamese families, his friends.

“Before Tet, people flock to the street. There are traffic jams everywhere. Everyone hurries to go shopping. They buy flowers, kumquat, peach trees, etc. The atmosphere is very lively. But as soon as Tet begins, the streets become quiet. All shops are closed. People wear their best clothes to visit their relatives and friends. That time is so comfortable!” Mr. Laszlo says about Vietnam’s Tet.

He said Vietnam’s banh chung (square glutinous rice cake) feels really traditional, more traditional than nem, which he likes very much, or xoi gac (steamed glutinous rice mixed with qua gac – a kind of fruit which gives the rice a red color) and mut Tet (jams made from different kinds of fruits for Tet). These things are a must in every Vietnamese family during Tet. However, “banh chung”, according to Mr. Laszlo, is very special. Seeing “banh chung” and kumquat makes one immediate think of Tet.

In Vietnam, Tet food must be prepared at home. This reminds him of Christmas, when the whole family gathers to decorate a pine tree and cook fish soup and make traditional Beigli cake. The get-together of the family is the most meaningful and happiest part of the holiday.

What the Hungarian Ambassador finds most interesting tradition of Vietnamese Tet is abstaining from eating duck meat in the first days of the New Year.

“I know that Vietnamese people abstain from eating duck meat at Tet because they believe that eating duck meat will bring bad luck. In Hungary, people abstain from eating chicken at Christmas because they believe that since chickens have wings, Eating chicken will make the good luck will fly away so they eat pork instead. But it is the opposite in Vietnam. Tet feasts always have chicken. But it is no problem. That’s the custom and habit of each country,” he says and smiles.

If other foreign diplomats in Vietnam often travel during the Tet holiday, Mr. Lazlo stays in Hanoi because: “If you want to go somewhere, you have to make plans a month ahead and buy the air tickets for the whole family. It’s complicated. Why don’t you stay in Hanoi during Tet. Hanoi is very special at Tet. Everything seems to go more slowly. I’ve already traveled a lot during the year”.

Another reason is that the time for Tet in Vietnam is still the working time in Hungary. His employees have to go to the office to communicate with Budapest. However, nobody wants to work when the Tet atmosphere is all around. They only tidy up their tables and do errands that they never do in the year.

For Mr. Lazlo, the most interesting place to visit at Tet is the Quang Ba flower market near his house. His family always goes to the market to watch peach flowers, buy some flowers to decorate their house and generally enjoy the Tet atmosphere

The ambassador also knows about the first-foot custom, according to which the first visitor of the new year determines the luck of the host family for the rest of the year. In his first year in Hanoi He was quite worried when he found out that he was the first-footer for a Vietnamese family.

“I did’t know that the first-footer is the one who brings luck to the host family. I wondered whether I brought good or bad luck to them. I heard that first-footers are selected very carefully. I also heard that some people avoid being the first-footer because they are afraid of bringing bad luck to the host. But I think that all my family came at once so many people would have brought many different lucks,” he says with a smile.

What he likes most is visiting Vietnamese families during Tet because that is the chance for him to experience the real Vietnamese Tet.

“I’m very honored to be invited to my Vietnamese families’ homes during Tet. The invitation not only shows my special relations with them but they also give me a chance to see the strength of family ties among Vietnamese people, and I can see how they prepare for Tet”.

The Hungarian Ambassador can’t understand why Vietnamese people give money as Tet presents, instead of small but meaningful gifts, though he understands that it is the custom. However, he still gives some small Tet money to children whenever he visits a Vietnamese family.

Xuan Linh