Lunar New Year is a special holiday for me as it allows me to take a break from the westernized world and go deeper into my Vietnamese roots. My grandma would make these glutinous rice cakes filled with mung beans and pork and a hot sweet syrup would drench the cushiony pastry. Family friends would also gift us sweets like sticky sesame bars and gummy kumquats.
Food is not just the only tradition for Lunar New Year. The loud but distant sounds of my mom singing karaoke, my uncles playing poker and blackjack, and my grandmother stirring up pho in the kitchen were all the necessities to make a Lunar New Year.
I remember when I wore the silky and soft ao dai for church during Lunar New Year. It was soft and had a nice navy blue color on it. After mass, there would be a party in the basement with food, music, and dancing. I remembered my aunts and uncles dancing to Soulja Boy when I was 6 years old. I also vividly remembered people performing the dragon dance. The experience is something I would never forget.
Of course, I could never forget about the red envelopes. Elders and adults would give little me these red envelopes like there is no tomorrow. I thought I could become a millionaire with all of the money that they are supplying me. I gave it to my mom for “safekeeping” and I still wonder where that money went. Now I’m a broke college student.
While this pandemic may not be ideal for Lunar New Year, let’s hope that all of the fortune and luck in the year of the ox provide all of the closure for our worrisome needs and keep us safe from the neverending conflict in our world today.
