Apart from the bonus working people get for Tet, what else can you expect to get?
Li Xi Money or Lucky Money. This one’s usually given to children by the adults.
But it’s not unusual to give Li Xi Money to people who work for you on a daily basis and if you’re feeling generous, why not extend to the lady cleaning up your condo common area? Or guard? Or your driver?
It is usually given in small red envelopes and money is usually new! Now I know why we had that much new bank notes delivered to the office the other day.
Ban Chung and Banh Tet. These are some Vietnamese delicacies that are served during Tet. These are made from sticky rice (glutinous rice), pork, and other ingredients. They are usually placed in the altar first to honor the ancestors.
Not too fond of these though as I don’t want to be surprised on what’s inside the sticky treat. 😛
Getting beautiful flowers for Tet is part of the tradition. For the North, its the pink blossoms called hoa dao and for the South, you’d usually see the yellow blossoms called hoa mai or the Vietnamese Mickey Mouse plant. If in Christmas, you have the Christmas tree, for Tet, its the flowers. Orchids are usually sent as gifts.
Gift baskets filled with food you can cook for the Tet celebration is usually given by employers to employees.
From our office, I got a box of beer. 😛 Errr….who wants some? Nobody really drinks in our house.
What I like best though is getting vouchers from the grocery. 500,000 VND from Coop Mart —
and a million from Queenland!
So what about you? What have you received this season?
