New Year's Eve

by Phong

On New Year’s Eve, we spend the day preparing for 3 days of celebrating the lunar New Year. My mom is in the kitchen making food and the housekeeper helps my mom cut the meat to make chicken soup. They also clean the house thoroughly by using small towels.

At midnight we pray to welcome our ancestors back to celebrate the New Year with our family. Then I hear a firecracker. On the altar every family has a dish of fruits like:

• Coconut (dua) and Papaya (du du) in our language means moderate, average so my family will have enough for the whole year.
• Pineapple (thom) means fragrant.
• Water melon (dua hau) fruit that has red color that brings luck to family.

Also the altar has 3 small cups of wine. There is very long and large incense and the picture of a dragon with the shiny ball carved on the incense stick in the middle of the altar. My family cooks: a whole chicken complete with its head, 3 bowls of rice. Then my dad goes to the bedroom and turns on very loud music for every one in my house to hear. That music is the Vietnamese New Year music. My house looks very clean and smells very fresh.

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