Culture – Tradition and Festival

1. If I were to meet (an important older person) in your culture, how should I greet them to be polite and show respect?

- Firstly, take off your hat.
- Open a polite smile.
- Using polite greeting sentences to greet those people, for example the sentences equivalent to: “good morning, sir”.
- However, you should study the way to use proper titles when addressing different subjects. This is not the same to English. For example, if that person is an old woman, you are supposed to greet her with: “Chao ba a!”; whereas a greeting sentence toward an old man is “Chao ong a!”.
- It is desirable to call Vietnamese professional and government officials by their title, i.e., Mr. Assemblyman, Mr. Doctor, Mr. Lieutenant, etc.
- Instead of saying such formal greeting sentences. You can also expressing your respect toward those people by asking them some familiar questions, equivalent to “ How are you?”, “Have you had your dinner yet?”, and so on.
- About the handshake etiquette, in Vietnam, the older would be the one who offer his/her hand first. So you’d better not offer to shake hand until that person shows that he/ she is going to do so.
Women, especially those in the countryside, still shy away from shaking hands, especially with men from their own country. It is best not to offer to shake hands with a woman unless she offers her hand first.
( shy away from - avoid having to deal with some unpleasant task; "I shy away from this task" )

2. Describe a custom from your country that you would like people from other countries to adopt.
    Explain your choice, using specific reasons and examples.

* That’s about the custom of giving gifts.
• If gifts are taken for the family, they should be items that they could not easily obtain themselves. To take something that they could buy easily would be a bad reflection on their economic means. They love anything oversea, and it does not have to be expensive. If you give the children things, each should have a separate gift. It is not polite to take a whole bag of candy and give it to them as a group.
• Gifts for brides and grooms are usually given in pairs, including blankets. A single item indicates the marriage is not expected to last long. Two less expensive items are more desired than one nicer one.

3. Can you tell me something that foreigners should not do in Vietnam:

( * Taboo: [tə'bu:]  điều cấm kỵ; điều kiêng kỵ   there's a taboo on smoking in this office  trong văn phòng này có sự nhất trí không hút thuốc lá  

- (a)  bị cấm kỵ; bị cấm đoán; bị ngăn cấm (vì sự kiêng kỵ, phong tục..)

à questions and problems that were once taboo are now discussed openly

 những câu hỏi và những vấn đề có thời bị cấm kỵ thì nay được thảo luận công khai

à sex is no longer the taboo subject it used to be

 tình dục không còn là đề tài cấm kỵ như xưa kia nữa  )

* Here are numerous taboos on all aspects of life in Vietnam. A few of them are as follows:
- Don’t express lavish admiration for a new baby, because the devils might hear you and steal the child because of his desirability.  ( ['lævi∫] hậu hĩ, ko tiếc lời/ngớt lời ca ngợi điều gì; tấm tắc khen điều gì

to lavish care and affection on one's children  :  nuông chiều con cái )

- Going Dutch with a Vietnamese is not appreciated. If you run into someone at a restaurant and you join his table, let him pay the whole bill or pay it all yourself. The senior person usually pays.
- Hats are not usually worn inside churches and pagodas ( chùa), even Catholic ones. ( ng Thiên Ch gi)
Going Dutch : đi Hà Lan  => ko đc đối đãi gì = ai ăn ng đó trả tiền
4. When people move to another country, some of them decide to follow the customs of the new country. Others prefer to keep their own customs.
    Compare these two choices. Which one do you prefer? Support your answer with specific details

*  This is a difficult choice, and the decision is not always conscious. Many practical and social factors influence people.
- Very often it depends on age
- Older people have spent a lifetime doing things in a certain way ( theo 1 cách nhất đinh). Their social customs are part of who they are as people. It’s very hard for them to start doing things differently.
- The younger generation finds it easier to leave behind the culture of their native country and adapt to the customs of their new country ( thich nghi với). They are not as set in their ways as adults are. Children also feel the pressure to fit in from the other kids in school.
- A major part of adapting to the customs of a new country is learning that country’s language.
- Children learn the language in school, and use it daily while going to class and playing with other people.
- However, for many adults coming to a new country, they have no time for formal language classes. Their first priority is getting a job. Sometimes they work with people from their own country, and they don’t have to use the new language. Or they may find a job that doesn’t require much speaking at all. This means even if they’re trying to learn the language, they don’t have a lot of opportunities to practice that
- For my part, I believe that people who want to make their home in a new country need to find a balance. They should keep the best of their native culture and adopt the good things they find in their new country.

5. Sometimes it is very difficult to learn the way people do things in a new culture.     What can we do to make life easier for newcomers?

+ Obviously, time can help them:
The longer they settle their life in that new country, the easier for them to adapt to lifestyle of the new culture due to constant observation and contacts with the local people.
+ Studying the new language:
Language and culture is closely related to each other. If they can speak the living country’s language fluently, it is much easier for them to understand and adapt to  the new culture. Also, studying new language also means studying new culture
+ Making new acquaintance with the local people. These people can directly tell new resident about their habits and customs that they expect this person to observe.

6. Where is Vietnamese culture stronger, in the country or the city?
       Can you give some examples?

* In Vietnam, culture is stronger in the country than in the city. Let’s have a look in one of the most famous custom of Vietnam: the custom of chewing betel and areca nut.

 (betel: ['be:təl] cây trầu - areca nut:  ['ærikə,nʌt]  quả cau )

• A quid of betel consists of four materials: an areca nut, betel leaf, a chay root, and hydrated lime.
• The custom of chewing betel-nut is unique to Vietnam. Old health books claim that "chewing betel and areca nut makes the mouth fragrant, decreases bad tempers, and makes digesting food easy".
• A quid of betel makes people become closer and more openhearted. At any wedding ceremony, there must be a dish of betel and areca nut, which people can share as they enjoy the special occasion.
• During festivals or Tet Holidays, betel and areca nut is used for inviting visitors and making acquaintances.
• Nowadays, the custom of chewing betel remains popular in some Vietnamese villages and among the old. But in the urban, it is not of so popular.

7. Do traditional cultures contribute to the development of modern societies? Why? Why not?

8. Give some prominent features of your culture:

• It can be said that there were three layers of culture overlapping each other during the history of Vietnam: local culture, the culture that mixed with those of China and other countries in the region, and the culture that interacted with Western culture.  ( đan xen, chồng chéo, gối lên nhau)
• The most prominent feature of the Vietnamese culture is that it was not assimilated by foreign cultures thanks to the strong local cultural foundations. On the contrary, it was able to utilize and localize those from abroad to enrich the national culture.
• The Vietnamese national culture emerged from a concrete living environment: a tropical country with many rivers and the confluence of great cultures. The natural conditions (temperature, humidity, monsoon, water-flows, water-rice agriculture ...) exert a remarkable impact on the material and spiritual life of the nation, the characteristics and psychology of the Vietnamese.
( exert impact  [ig'zə:t]  sử dụng tất cả các tác động)
• The Vietnamese nation was formed early in the history and often had to carry out wars of resistance against foreign invaders, which created a prominent cultural feature: a patriotism that infiltrated and encompassed every aspect of life.

(Patriotism ['pætriətizəm] chủ nghĩa yêu nước, lòng yêu nước

  Infiltrate ['infiltreit] rỉ qua, thấm qua, ( to infiltrate A into B / B with A) làm cho cái gì đi qua bằng cách lọc nó chầm chậm vào một cái khác, thâm nhập

  Encompass [in'kʌmpəs]  vây quanh, bao quanh, bao gồm, chứa đựng, hoàn thành )

SECTION 2: FESTIVALS

1. What are some important festivals in your country?''

Beyond the national festivals mentioned onwards many local festivals take place throughout the year around the country. There are also scores of regional festivals, often jointly celebrated by collections of villages. Many ethnic groups also celebrate festivals. ( rất nhiều lễ hội địa phương, score = 20)

 ( ethnic ['eθnik] = ethnical ['eθnikəl]: thuộc tộc người, vô thần.

 ( from lunchtime onwards : ['ɔnwədz] phó từ : từ giờ ăn trưa trở đi )

* Tet - Vietnamese and Chinese New Year-

With a history that dates back thousands of years, the Tet festival was originally a celebration held by Vietnamese farmers to thank the gods for the arrival of spring, sometime between late January or early February. Although officially a three-day affair, festivities may continue for a week or more with every effort made to indulge in eating, drinking, and enjoyable social activities. It is also a time for family reunions, and for paying respect to ancestors and the elders. Gifts of food are made to friends, neighbors and relatives in the days before Tet.
(indulge in  [in'dʌldʒ] cho phép mình hưởng thụ sự vui thích của cái gì; xả láng

     * Mid-Autumn or Children''s Moon Festival (Tet-Trung-Thu)

+ The essence of Tet-Trung-Thu - celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month - is to promote education, culture, music, sports, arts and crafts, and poetry. (['pouitri] thi ca )

   (essence ['esns] bản chất, thực chất, cốt lõi, điều cốt yếu

+  Beginning at noon and ending at midnight, the festival includes:
- folklore displays.  ( folklore ['fouklɔ:] văn hoá dân gian )

              - Children's games.
              - Lantern processions. (['læntən] đèn lồng, đèn xách,  (kiến trúc) cửa trời (ở mái nhà)

              - Dragon Dances.
- Multicultural performances.
- Delicacies include moon cakes, sticky rice, fruits and various sweets.

                (Delicacies: /'delikəsi/ : đồ ăn ngon/ cao lương mĩ vị )

2. Describe a Vietnamese traditional festival:

* Vietnam has many traditional and religious holidays but none can be compared to New Year festival,Tet Nguyen-Dan or, in short, Tet.

+  Where and when does it take place?
       - Tet starts on the first day of the first lunar month and is the first season of the new year (according to the lunar calendar).
       - Tet has become so familiar, so sacred to the Vietnamese that when Spring arrives, the Vietnamese, wherever they may be, are all thrilled and excited with the advent of Tet, and they feel an immense nostalgia, wishing to come back to their homeland for a family reunion and a taste of the particular flavours of the Vietnamese festivities.

  ( Sacred : ['seikrid] :  thiêng liêng

   Advent:['ædvənt]  sự đến, sự tới (của một sự việc gì quan trọng), sự giáng sinh của Chúa Giêxu

   Nostalgia [nɔs'tældʒiə]  nỗi nhớ nhà, lòng nhớ quê hương, nỗi luyến tiếc quá khứ; lòng hoài cổ)

+ Do you have special food or dress for this festival? tell me about it.

The Banh Chung has been a "must" during the Tet holidays. The Banh Chung is very nutritious, has an original tasty flavor and may be kept for a long time. All of its ingredients and materials, from the green wrapping leaves to sticky rice and pork, green peas and pepper inside, are all medicines (according to Oriental Medicine) that act to keep harmony between the positive and the negative, thus helping the blood circulate well and preventing diseases. Certainly, no other cakes could be of such cultural significance and produce such medical effects as the green Banh Chung of Vietnam.

       ( tobe of cultural significant – to produce medical effects)

*  What do people do to prepare for such occasion?

   How do people celebrate?

- The first signs of the impending holiday show up a month before Tet. Workmen start building stalls near the markets to sell holiday items such as New Year''s greeting cards, candied fruits and decorations. Prices for everything begin to rise.

[im'pendiη]   sắp xảy đến, xảy đến trước mắt /  treo, treo lơ lửng  / (nghĩa bóng) đang đe doạ, lơ lửng trên đầu

an impending storm  cơn bão đang đe doạ  ;   impending dangers   những mối nguy hiểm đang lơ lửng trên đầu

- Houses and buildings get a new paint. People buy new clothes, exchange greeting cards, wish each other Happy New Year Chuc Mung Nam Moi).
- It''s auspicious if the branches bloom on the first morning of Tet: apricot blossoms are reputed to keep demons out of the homes at this time. The ideal is to have the flowers bloom just at Tet, so much care is given in picking just the right braches. Some families buy entire apricot tree and decorate it with greeting cards from well-wishers. Families also paste up strips of red paper “cau doi” with sayings of wealth, happiness, prosperity, and longevity; They also buy fruits with names reminding of their wishes for the coming year.
- Family gather making the traditional Banh Chung, the cake of sticky rice, and fruit candies (Mut).
- Traditionally, no cooking is done during the three day holiday, so all food must be prepared beforehand.

*  What happens during this festival?

- At midnight on New Year’s Eve, a ceremony called "Giao Thua" is held in which a sacrifice for the spirits and the ancestors is made on a lovely candle-lit altar in the open air near the home.
- After this, the family may break off some new buds from the special new plants and trees recently purchased for Tet and go to the Pagoda. There, they place incense before the altar and pray for the prosperity of the new year. When they leave the pagoda, another new bud is picked from a plant or tree and placed on the top of a column at their home on returning. This symbolizes good luck.
- The next morning, the family arises early and dress in their new clothes. Dishes of special foods are prepared to be placed on the family altar for the ancestors who are back in the home during Tet. This will be repeated twice daily until Tet is over.
- Everyone offers each other New Year wishes, and the children are given lucky red envelopes containing money.
- On the fourth day of Tet, the Vietnamese believe that their ancestors return to their heavenly abode. The stores begin to re-open and life regains its normalcy. People visit graves on this day acting as an escort for their departing ancestors.
- During Tet festival, all stores are closed and businesses are interrupted for at least 3 days.

* Things not to do in Tet festival:

Some things are considered to be very bad luck if done at Tet. A few of them to do at Tet are as follows.
- Never clean house during Tet.
- Do not insult others or misbehave.
- Do not use profanity (rude words).
- Do not look fretful or show any anger or grief.
- Do not break any dishes.
- Compare how people celebrate it now with how people may have celebrated it in the past.
- Preparing food: buying proccessed food instead of doing it, even Chung cake.
- Better living standard -> a more expensive “Eating Tet”.
- How might this festival change in the future?
The growing popularity of Western festivals, like Christmas or New Year Festival will somehow reduce the meanings and make some activities in Tet lose its unique character: Family reunion, house redecoration, giving lucky money, for instance, can take place in the above occasions instead of Tet.
The increasingly improved living standard will give people no sense of a special menu on Tet days. They can enjoy any delicacy during the year, unneccesarily falling in Tet occasion.
- Do you think such a traditional festival should be preserved? Why? Why not?
Of course it should be. Any country should preserve its own culture which is best presented in Festivals.
- Festivals have long been considered the traditional cultural activity of the Vietnamese people. They are attractive to all social classes and have become a necessary part of people''s lives for many centuries.
- Festivals are the crystallization of cultural, spiritual, and physical activities that have been chosen, maintained, and improved over many generations.
- Are you concerned about the possibility of losing traditional cultures? Why? Why not?

3. Could you tell me about a special festival in your hometown?
Mid Autumn ->hometown

• For a long time, Vietnam and some other Asian countries who follow the rite of worshipping the Moon Genie, welcome the Mid-Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. This is the time when the moon is full, the farm work is at rest, and the weather is cool and fresh. Apart from the Lunar New Year, the Mid-Autumn Festival is the most impressive event for the Vietnamese, particularly the children. There is no other event in the year other than this festival that provides them with as much entertainment, toys, cakes, candies, and fruit.
• About half a month before the event, various kinds of colourful items, mostly cakes, candies and toys, are displayed for sale along the streets, in the shops and at the markets . Everyone, both domestic and foreign, is eager to go either shopping or sight-seeing. On the festive day, some families cook outstanding food to offer their ancestors during the daytime. In the evening, the mid-autumn festive party is prepared with cakes, candies and fruits. Cakes are various, but a "must" is the “banh deo” (glutinous-rice dumplings) and “banh nuong” (cakes) in the shape of the moon and fish. Fruit , including longans, simmons, bananas, grapefruits, etc., are also abundant and diverse.
• The Festival is exceptionally interesting for the children who play happily with the bright new toys. The toys are made from various different forms: the lion lead, the animal in folk tales and stories. The lanterns are colourful and of various kinds, such as the rabbit, the carp, etc. Besides traditional carton paper toys, plastic and bamboo plates, ships, tanks, etc. made of plastics with batteries and having remote controls are also on sale. This is understandable due to the economic improvements of the people. Whether organized in the city or countryside, the preserved tradition of the Mid-Autumn Festival is reflected in the way the children play games such as seek-and-hide, lion dancing, lantern marching, etc.
• The welcome-the-moon party in the evening is a good opportunity for the children not only to enjoy the food, but also to learn more from their grandparents and parents. They are told how to prepare the party in the most attractive way. To decorate the party, there is always a "doctor" made of paper or dough ( [dou] bột nhào ; my cake is dough  việc của tôi hỏng bét rồi) , which reminds the children of the high achievements to be obtained in their studies. The time to start enjoying the party is solemnly shared by the whole family and becomes the most sacred moment of the Mid-Autumn Festival. In the bright moonlight, clear sky and fresh environment, everybody is relaxed with a pure and detached joy.

Detach: [di'tæt∫t]  rời ra, tách ra, đứng riêng ra ; a detached house :  căn nhà xây tách riêng ra, nhà đứng chơ vơ một mình ; to live a detached life : sống cuộc đời tách rời  không lệ thuộc; vô tư, không thiên kiến, khách quan ; a detached views :  quan điểm vô tư

4. What role do you think festivals have in your society and is this role changing?

- Expressing reverence.
- Maintaining ancient traditions
- Remembering dead heroes
- Commemorating important events
- Entertaining the community
Vietnamese culture has a long tradition of colourful festivals.

5. Are some festivals too commercial these days?

6. Tell me about the way people celebrate a wedding in your country:

- Wedding is very important to Vietnamese, not only to the couple involved, but also for both families. Thus, it is usually including quite a few formal ritual observances.
- The Wedding day is usually chosen well in advance by the groom and the bride''s parents.
- On the wedding day, the groom''s family and relatives go to the bride''s house bringing a lot of gifts wrapped in red papers. These gifts are similar to those of the engagement: betel leaves and areca nuts, wines, fruits, cakes, tea ...
- The groom''s family would stop in the font of the bride''s house. The leading couple should enter the house first bringing a tray ( cái khay) with wine and tiny cups on it. They would invite the bride''s parents to take a sip ( uống 1 hớp). By accepting the toast, the bride''s family agree for the groom family to enter their house.
- The groom''s family would introduce themselves and ask permission for their son to marry his bride.
- The Master of the Ceremony (usually a respected person among the bride''s relatives) instructs the bride''s parents to present their daughter.
- The bride then follows her parents out. She is in Vietnamese traditional wedding Ao Dai which is usually in red. Followed are her bride maids. ( phù dâu)
- The wedding ceremony starts in front of the altar ( bàn thờ). The bride and the groom would kneel down and pray, asking for their ancestors'' permission to be married, also asking for blessing on their family-to-be.
- The couple then turn around and bow down to the bride''s parents to say thank for raising and protecting her since birth.
- They then bow their head to each other, which means to show their gratitude and respect toward their soon-to-be husband or wife.
- The groom and the bride then exchange their wedding rings.
- The ceremony is ended with a round applause.  ( tràng pháo tay)
- Today, a lot of Vietnamese couples have their wedding ceremony done in Temples or Churches which is very much similar to American and Western style, including exchanging vows and wedding rings. However, they still maintain Vietnamese traditional ceremony in the bride''s home before heading to temples or churches.
- The newly wedded couples then leave for their honey moon.