In Vietnam, it’s Tet (Happy New Year of the Snake)
Posted: February 9, 2013 Filed under: Britain, tet | Tags: tet, vietnam 8 Comments »Calling it "Chinese" New Year is like calling it American Christmas. Don't be that guy. #lunarNewYear—
(@duylinhtu) February 08, 2013
Well said. I was beginning to think it was just me. I’ve bemoaned this a few times and on occasions been shouted down. My take on it is that it’s the lunar calendar, China, to date, doesn’t own the moon.
See also this greeting from Dave who arguably gets it most wrong:
“I want to send my very best wishes to everyone celebrating the Chinese New Year – in Britain, in China and all around the world.”
I can’t help but think this is a hangover from less cosmopolitan times when anyone with South East Asian features was generically regarded as Chinese in the UK. A couple of years ago at the British Council, London sent round best wishes for the Chinese New Year which ended up on Vietnamese desks.
In China it’s the New Year, everywhere else it’s the Lunar New Year. In Vietnam it’s Tet. No?
Working with colleagues from China, Hong Kong, Vietnam and the UK this week, I’ve stuck to saying Happy New Year of the Snake.
It’s a bit like like when Sarkozy said “Daveed, mon ami, le Premier Ministre anglais…”
[...] In Vietnam, it’s Tet (Happy New Year of the Snake). [...]
In theory I’d agree with you, but the “Chinese New Year” label isn’t just about laziness. I’ve been in Malaysia for the past 5 weeks and everyone here seems to refer to it as Chinese New Year. I’d imagine it’s the same in Singapore, as it is in the US and evidently the UK as well. Vietnam seems to be one of the few countries to have its own name. Also, I believe the “Year of the (animal)” thing is Chinese as well. I’ve yet to hear anyone in Asia call it the Lunar New Year. Obviously they all use the Gregorian calendar, so I think they mostly hang this special lunar one on China.
[...] In Vietnam, it’s Tet (Happy New Year of the Snake) (ourmaninhanoi.com) [...]
[...] In Vietnam, it’s Tet (Happy New Year of the Snake) (ourmaninhanoi.com) [...]
Roger – I think the difference being, as I understand it, most places that celebrate Chinese New Year are doing so because of high number of Chinese migrants. Whereas Vietnam it’s celebrated wholly by the Vietnamese people.
Steve, yes, I’d agree with you on that. Malaysia and Singapore have huge Chinese immigrant populations, but even the Malays and Indians seem to call it Chinese New Year. When I was in Hanoi in 2010 for Tet it was only known as Tet. I believe South Korea also does their own version.
The reason I even replied was that it seems the Lunar New Year people are swimming upstream. It reminds me of a long-ago debate where some people (in travel forums) were trying to make the point that Brazilians and Mexicans are also technically “Americans” so those of us from the US should be called something else. Meanwhile, any other label is confusing and inefficient.
So in Vietnam, Tet works, but most other places calling it Lunar New Year seems labored.
Hey, it’s called Tết over here too in America you know. It seems like you have a thing against calling it the Lunar New Year? Why? It is the lunar new year because it”s based on the Lunar Calendar. Besides, Calling it Chinese New Year is highly arrogant and rooted in misconception. There used to be a huge influx of nothing but CHINESE IMMIGRANTS. Therefore, anything that seemed Asian was deemed “” Chinese”" . Those days are over. Malaysia Chinese had the seat of power in Malaysia, and everyone else was considered second-class citizens. Also, China is NOT THE ONLY COUNTRY TO CELEBRATE IT. LIke you said, there’s Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Tibet, Laos etc..