Lunar New Year Preparations at Than's Home in Vietnam

The Lunar New Year (often called the 'Chinese New Year') is a very important festival in Vietnam. My visit to Vietnam in 2013 coincided with preparations for that festival which seemed to become increasingly frantic as the date approached. Than had been my informative guide for the segment of my trip from Hoi An to Hue. The whole trip (including visits to Western Australia and Burma) is described in a series of posts here.

On 3rd February, 2013, at the end of the Hue segment, the driver was to transfer me to Hue Airport for the evening flight to Hanoi . However, before leaving for the airport, Than had invited me to his home, where (like all Vietnamese) they were getting ready to celebrate the approaching New Year with a special meal. I met Than's wife, their young son Robbie, Than's Mother and Father and other members of the family.

Robbie with his Mother and Grandmother.

Everybody was engaged in preparations for a special meal that evening, to be attended by family and friends. The celebratory feast was first set up on two tables in the front yard but after a while it started to rain, so everything had to be hurriedly brought back into the house.


The celebratory feast was first set up in the front yard, before rain forced a hurried removal back into the house.

I was made very welcome and, although I could not stay for the meal itself, they insisted that I took a bowl of the delicious soup before leaving for my flight.

My Pictures

Than's Home in Hue.