happy tết!

it's the lunar new year! and it's an especially important new year for me and anyone else who was born in the year of the pig. it's sad not being home for tết, because i miss out on all the fascinating things that happen on our one holiday.

here are my favorite things about the new year from when i was growing up:

- wearing Áo Dài (which explains my affinity for wearing dresses over pants)
- getting a day off from school
- hearing the stories behind all the ceremonies and watching my dad perform them. he always stays up the night before tết, leaves the house, then comes in through the front door just after midnight to make sure that the first person who enters the house on the new year brings good and lucky energy. it's superstitious, but i love the idea.
- going to at least two parties in one day and seeing all your relatives and family friends
- receiving good luck wishes and "lì xì" (little red envelopes of money) from the adults. on a particularly good day, you can get hundreds of dollars!
- gambling away that money on games like blackjack or "bầu cua cá cọp"
- loads of good traditional vietnamese food
- the cool spinning dish that comes out every year that holds watermelon seeds, dried fruit, and other vietnamese candies
- burning fake gold and money for the ancestors in the backyard with my dad
- feeling happier and more hopeful on this day than on january 1st

first and foremost, i wish you all good health and happiness for this coming year. i hope that you will be content in your careers and your relationships, but i hope that you will expand your horizons as well (that was mv's wish for me). i want extraordinary opportunities and beautiful experiences to come your way. have fun and be safe. much love to all!