B: But preparation for the holiday begins weeks earlier. People don’t like to spend two years building a house, so they arrange their construction schedule so as to finish the project in one year. Wedding ceremonies are avoided at the end of the year. Debts should be cleared before Tet because holding debts over from one year to the next is considered bad luck.

A: One week before the holiday, on the 23^rd day of the last Lunar Month, we worship the Kitchen Gods, who are believed to administer everything in the family. It is believed that each year on this day, these Gods – two males and one female – go to heaven to tell the Jade Emperor about all the activities of the house’s owners. On New Year’s Eve, they return to earth to continue their duties taking care of the family.

Kumquat trees represent prosperity in the New Year

B: During the absence of the Kitchen Gods, household members clean their houses and decorate them beautifully – a process that must be completed before New Year’s Day. It’s taboo to sweep a house during the first 3 days of the New Year. To do so is to sweep away good luck.

A: Now, with Tet just 3 days away, people are decorating their house, visiting the tombs of their ancestors, and buying food for their Tet feasts. All the best foods are prepared and consumed during the holiday because people believe it will ensure that they have a new year full of health, prosperity, and happiness.

B: People buy some items exclusively for Tet – Chung cakes, Day cakes, pork bologna, pickled onion, candied fruits, and seeds – foods that can be stored for some time because people don’t want to go shopping during Tet. People also buy new clothes and give gifts to their relatives and friends. 

Peach flowers and kumquat trees are must-have Tet items

A: A feast of family reunion is served on the penultimate day of the year. On New Year’s Eve, most Vietnamese people stay at home for a family reunion party and watch Tet specials on TV. Some go out to see a fireworks display or count-down party at a public venue. When midnight comes everybody, whether at a big party or in the comfort of their own home, wishes Happy New Year to one another.

B: During the 3 first days of the New Year, we visit relatives and friends to greet them in the New Year and wish them all kinds of good things: happiness, health, prosperity, and success. We give lucky money to old people to wish them longevity, to children for good academic results, and adults for good business and prosperity. The money should be new and put in little red envelopes because red represents good luck.

Hang Luoc flower market in Hanoi

A: Many traditional Tet practices such as family get-togethers, Tet food, Tet decorations, and Tet visits have been followed for hundreds of years. VOV’s features during Tet will cover Vietnam’s Tet in the past and present, traditional and modern customs, old people’s memories of Tet in the past, and the impressions of foreigners in Vietnam.

B: Now let’s read listeners’ letters we received this week. Richard Nowak of the US reported that the show on 7315 kHz on January 23 was very nice. He used a National NC-98 tube radio hooked up to an off-center-fed dipole with an overall length of 41 meters. SINPO was 45444.

A: Richard wrote: “The great Sunday Show had a very interesting segment on Vietnam’s oldest religion, the Mother Goddess Worship: rituals, performances, ceremonies, and thousands of people making the pilgrimage to the temple of the Mother of Goddess. The Mother Goddess Worship segment was very interesting and educational. It’s great to get an insight into the culture and history of Vietnam.”

B: We’re very glad to receive your reception report and feedback on our programs every day, Richard. We cannot remember how many verification cards we have sent you so far. Thank you very much for your support of shortwave!

A: Bhaikan Hazarika of India’s Universal DX Club said he tuned in to our program on January 21, on the frequency of 7280KHZ. He used a Philips 4Band Communications Type and rated SINPO at 43343.

B: Hazarika wrote: “I want to say thank you for your fantastic programs. In today's “Weekend Music Session” you played some wonderful traditional Vietnamese music. The first song, “Communal house in a fishing village”, sung by a male singer was so nice. I very much enjoyed today's show, which was entertaining and inspiring.”

A: Thank you so much for your compliment, Mr. Hazarika. We’ll send you a QSL card to confirm your report. I’m reading a letter from Masaru Sekimoto of Japan, who wrote: “I had a good time listening to your program on the last day of 2016. I’ll try to listen to your program every day in 2017. I think VOV’s English program is important for Japanese. I can understand the culture, people, and history of Vietnam.”

B: Many thanks, Mr. Sekimoto for your interest in VOV’s programs and Vietnam. We surely will verify your reception report, which tallies well with our station log. From Latvia, Andrew Kuznetsov tuned in to our program on January 7, 2017, from 00-19.27 UTC.

A: His reception report covered the key items in our news bulletin, and a business story on pomelo fruit in the Mekong Delta. He rated SINPO on 7280 kHz at 44544 and on 9730 kHz at 31222. VOV’s signal on this frequency was totally over-ridden by China Radio International in Portuguese, Mr. Kuznetsov said.

B: Thank you Kuznetsov for your feedback, which is useful for our technicians.  This week we acknowledge letters from Rolf Johanson of Sweden, Richard Lemke of Canada, Ivan Lebedev of Russia, Mulchand Gandhveer and Muhammad Shamim of India, and Timothy Johnson of the US. Thank you all for tuning in to our programs and sending us feedback. We’ll verify your reception reports and hope you’ll receive our QSL cards soon.

A: We welcome your feedback at English Section, VOVworld, Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu Street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Our email address is englishsection@vov.org.vn. Thank you for listening to VOV on shortwave and for visiting our website. Goodbye. Happy New Year!