Christmas and Lunar New Year, though very different, share several similarities in terms of symbols. In this article, we will compare more specifically these traditions in the U.S. and Vietnam.
While both events can be considered the biggest events in the year, Christmas is the tradition of only Christians, which means it’s not a celebration in other religions. It’s thanks to the huge Christian community in the U.S. that Christmas sweeps nearly every corner in the country. Lunar New Year, on the other hand, is the tradition of every Vietnamese family, regardless of religion.
Decoration is a big thing. The Christmas tree is the spirit of Christmas. Families adorn the tree with Christmas ornaments and put gifts under the tree. Many people like to put lights on the trees or in front of or around the house. It’s not uncommon to see Santa Claus, gingerbread men, elves, etc puppets all around either! For Lunar New Year, people like to buy peach blossoms, yellow apricot blossoms, or kumquat trees. Most decorations are red or yellow because people believe the color red will bring luck and prosperity. Some common ornaments include lanterns, red envelopes, knots that represents fortune and wealth, and so on. Many families even put up the traditional calligraphy of words such as luck, prosperity, success, education, health and gratitude, believing they will achieve these in the New Year.
Gift exchanges are another big custom. American people believe that everyone deserves a gift on Christmas, and so they prepare presents for everyone. On the other hand, in Vietnam, New Year red envelopes mainly come to children and sometimes elders. Red envelopes or red packets are the adorned envelopes that contain a bit of money as the symbol of fortune. People give these to children as a way to wish them luck.
Food exchange is no less noticeable. For Christmas, people like to bring baked goods to their family, friends, and coworkers. For New Year, Vietnamese people do the same with Bánh Chưng, or sticky rice cake. Cooking these food takes time and preparation, but it’s certainly a nice and fun tradition.
Both of these events have [Christmas/New Year] Eve and [Christmas/New Year] Day. On [Christmas/New Year] Eve, families have dinner together. For Christmas, people often have turkey/ham dinner and exchange gifts under the Christmas tree. For Lunar New Year, the “reunion dinner” is the time relatives and family members of many generations enjoy chicken together. In addition, Vietnamese people often stay up until midnight to welcome the moments Old Year is leaving and New Year is coming. After fireworks, some people may go to pagodas or go on the street to feel the fun atmosphere everywhere. Most other people, like me, go to sleep.
Finally, on [Christmas/New Year] Day, many American Christians go to church in the morning to celebrate the birth of Jesus, whereas many Vietnamese go to pagodas to wish the best things for a New Year and to “visit” the spirits of the previous generations (often parents of grandparents). Lunar New Year doesn’t stop there, however. Traditionally, there are three main New Year days. The first day, people visit the paternal sides; the second day, their maternal sides; the third day, their teachers. The rest of New Year is for friends and others.
P.S: Many Vietnamese traditions above overlap those of many Asian countries. New Year is a big event in several Asian countries just like Christmas is celebrated also in a lot of European countries.
