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Christmas in Vietnam (Radio Package)


OUT: NUIG News

Christmas is a time of joy, a time for love and cheer, a time for making memories, to last throughout the year. 

And as we all gear up for the holiday season here in Ireland, it’s easy to forget about the different Christmas celebrations happening all around the world. 

We may be used to the classic Christmas dinner of turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy. But in Colombia they eat Patacones, a type of potato pancake, while in Greenland you’d eat whale blubber for dinner, and if you were in Japan, you’d eat KFC as your traditional festive feast.

As children across the country draft their letters to Santa Claus. The kids in Austria are worrying about Krampus, a half-goat, half-demon, who punishes the Children who misbehave. In Iceland, there’s the Christmas Cat who eats up any little ones who haven’t received new clothes on Christmas day. And in Switzerland there’s Santa’s sidekick Schmutzli who helps to decide whether you’ve been naughty or nice. 

While 10,000 kilometres away, in Vietnam, winter traditions are quite different. A predominately Buddhist country, most living there have never seen snow, and there is no such thing as Santa Claus on Christmas morning. 

We caught up with some Vietnamese locals to discuss what they would normally do around the Christmas season. 

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The most important winter tradition in Vietnam is the Tet Holiday or Vietnamese Lunar New Year. The celebration lasts for a total of 9 days and during this time most travel home to their families and visit the graves of their ancestors. 

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While Tet may be the time Vietnamese people visit their family. For many expats, who are living and working, the coronavirus restrictions in Europe mean it’s impossible to come home for Christmas. We spoke to some of those who have emigrated to Asia about their plans this year.

[CLIP]

For many people out there facing their first Christmas away from home, the shock of a new culture may be unusual, but the values that underpin them are the same. Family, community, and kindness. Whether you’re in Vietnam or Ireland, Saigon or Sligo. 

Merry Christmas from Stephen Holland, NUIG News.




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