By Louis Chan
AsAmNews National Correspondent
Chinh Doan grew up in Vietnam until she was almost five years old and has vivid memories of Tet, the Vietnamese New Year which is today.
“My parents would dress me up in traditional Vietnamese attire to visit our relatives, to wish everyone a new year filled with happiness, health and prosperity,” she told AsAmNews.
Tet usually falls on the same day as Chinese New Year which is also today, except when a one hour time difference between China and Vietnam results in the new moon falling on different days.
Vietnamese people generally like to visit relatives during Tet and the celebration can last up to a week. Some visit the altar and graves of relatives.
Doan who is now a television news reporter at KETV in Omaha, Nebraska carries on many of the traditions with her mother.
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“Since I can’t be in Vietnam for Lunar New Year, my mother and I celebrate by shopping at the Vietnamese grocery store, cooking our favorite new year dishes and sharing our culture and tradition with friends. We also enjoy calling our family in Vietnam and hearing the background noise–the firecrackers, chatter of guests and excitement for the new year. I’m thankful to be Asian American, thankful for the best of both worlds and thankful I get two opportunities to celebrate life every year.”
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