Lunch Box Club for English 28: Introducing the Lunar New Year in Vietnam

This year's regular Lunch Box Club meeting welcomed special guests: a group of students from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities who will represent the university's youth at the upcoming Asian + 3 program in Thailand. These students are: Tran Huu Viet Khoi (Faculty of Sociology), Dang Thanh Hai (Faculty of Journalism and Communication), Nguyen Nhat Linh (Faculty of International Studies), and Nguyen Thi Phuong (Faculty of Tourism Studies). The Asian + 3 program is a series of cultural and linguistic exchange activities between students from ASEAN countries and Japan, South Korea, and China. Students from these countries have the opportunity to introduce their national culture and history and connect with international student networks in the ASEAN and Asian regions for collaborative activities.

To prepare for this important event, a group of students from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities shared with their faculty members, who are members of the Lunch Box Club for English, the presentation they will bring to ASEAN + 3, on the topic:The Lunar New Year in Vietnam.

With the desire to help international friends appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of Vietnamese Tet traditions, the group of students meticulously prepared content and eye-catching illustrations about Vietnamese Tet customs such as: greetings expressing respect for elders and the strong bonds of family; the custom of making banh chung (traditional rice cakes) and other traditional Tet dishes; ways to decorate homes for Tet; the custom of visiting temples to pray for good fortune at the beginning of the year; taboos during Tet; the custom of giving lucky money (li xi) for the New Year; fireworks displays to welcome the New Year; and even the famous TV show Tao Quan - an indispensable source of entertainment for people during the spring festival…

While praising the students' presentation, the teachers also offered many suggestions to make it more lively and engaging, such as: comparing Tet customs in Vietnam with those of other Southeast Asian countries, adding more details to highlight the school's image in the group's activity, and incorporating more emotional elements into a topic that celebrates the beauty of national culture…

The final part of the meeting was a discussion that garnered much attention from members on a narrow topic also related to Tet: traveling abroad during the Lunar New Year to experience foreign cultures and enjoy life, or celebrating Tet warmly with loved ones and family – which would you choose?

Lunch Box Club for English continues to expand its discussion topics and constantly welcomes new guests to enrich the English practice experience.