Western students celebrate traditional Vietnamese New Year for the first time

(Dan Tri) - They are students from the US, Germany, and France, very excited to experience the traditional Vietnamese New Year for the first time.

Louis Wald, from Germany: "The first time I wrapped banh chung was strange and interesting"

3 weeks ago, after celebrating the New Year in Germany, Louis Wald arrived in Vietnam. The male student was excited to know that he would be celebrating the New Year 2025 again.

When I first arrived in Vietnam, I was very excited to see the bustling, crowded streets, people, and houses full of things, flower pots, and ornamental plants to celebrate Tet.

The first time he wore the ao dai, Louis Wald wittily said, "I felt like a king."

Louis Wald said the first time he wrapped banh chung was strange and interesting (Photo: M. Ha).

The first time he was instructed to wrap banh chung, the 20-year-old male student was clumsy. He also arranged the leaves, spread the sticky rice and arranged the meat, but no matter how hard he tried, the cake was still not square like the people around him.

Even so, he still really liked the banh chung he had just wrapped: "The first time I wrapped banh chung, it felt so strange and interesting," Louis Wald shared.

She said that Vietnam has many provinces and cities that are tourist destinations. This Tet holiday, she and her classmates plan to visit some provinces and cities to sightsee and enjoy spring.

According to Louis Wald, he chose to come to Vietnam and study at the Foreign Trade University because this is a developing country with many rapid changes. Therefore, he wanted to come here to experience reality for about half a year as an exchange student.

"It's hard to make a decision, but if I have the chance to stay in Vietnam, I think I will definitely try," said Louis Wald.

American male student sees the fruit tray for the first time on Tet holiday (Photo: M. Ha).

Nathan Daniel Figueroa (20 years old), from the US: First time knowing about the five-fruit tray

Nathan Daniel Figueroa did not wrap the banh chung himself, but this was the first time he knew about the five-fruit tray. He also represented the international students of the faculty to present about the five-fruit tray.

In just 2 short minutes, Figueroa shared his feelings about the first time he visited Hoa Lo Prison. That was the place that inspired Figueroa to arrange the five-fruit tray. In addition, the male student also researched online and, together with other students, completed the Vietnamese Tet five-fruit tray.

In the Figueroa group's fruit tray, there are watermelon, apples, bananas, grapefruit, Buddha's hand, roses, chrysanthemums..., representing wealth, fortune, luck, prosperity, and fullness...

"The five-fruit tray has traditional fruits (Buddha's hand), combined with modern fruits (apple, rose), showing the connection between Vietnamese tradition and modern countries around the world ," Figueroa said.

According to this male student, although he just arrived in Vietnam, he really likes bun cha and nem.

This Tet, Figueroa plans to celebrate Tet with some Vietnamese students. Then, when his parents come to visit, he will travel with his family to Ho Chi Minh City.

Hortense (blue shirt on the right) likes Vietnamese ao dai (Photo: M. Ha).

Hortense (France): Hope to have more opportunities to wear Vietnamese ao dai

Knowing that she would be participating in Vietnamese Tet, Hortense, from France, was very excited. The female student shared that this was the first time she celebrated the traditional Vietnamese Tet and the second time she wore the Vietnamese ao dai.

Sharing with Dan Tri reporter, the female student said that she feels wearing ao dai is very beautiful and comfortable, she really likes it. Hortense hopes to have many more occasions to wear different styles of ao dai.

This Tet, Hortense plans to explore the streets of Hanoi, see how people shop for Tet, view flowers and learn about traditional Vietnamese Tet customs.

However, the female student did not forget to spend time reviewing her lessons in the remaining days because right after Tet, she had an important exam in France.

Vu Thai Dan, Vietnamese American: Eagerly waiting for Vietnamese Tet

Thai Dan from the US, eagerly waiting for Vietnamese Tet (Photo: M. Ha).

Thai Dan was born and raised in America. For him, Vietnam is both familiar (because his parents are Vietnamese) but also strange because he has never celebrated Tet in Vietnam, so he is extremely excited and looking forward to it.

Dan came to Vietnam because he wanted to take a Vietnamese language course. Four months ago, he could only speak a few words of Vietnamese. He wanted to return to Vietnam to learn the language and learn about the culture.

According to Dan, Tet in Vietnam is completely different from America. If in America, celebrating the New Year is simply about gathering together to eat and drink, in Vietnam, everyone goes shopping together, decorates the house, wraps banh chung, prepares peach blossoms, kumquat trees"…, Dan said.

"During Tet, my favorite foods are bun cha, nem and especially fried banh chung. I plan to go to Vung Tau to visit relatives and celebrate Tet with my family in Vietnam.

Around the 5th day of Tet, I will explore spring with my friends in some northern mountainous provinces like Moc Chau or Cao Bang," Thai Dan said.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/nhung-sinh-vien-tay-lan-dau-don-tet-truyen-thong-viet-nam-20250122111641670.htm