"Cambodia and China to their north between 1978 and 1979. Just like many developing countries around the world which continue to operate the T-54/55, at least 900 T-54s, along with a similar number of T-55s and Type 59s, are still in active military service with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam until the present day. Some of the is slated to be replaced by the more modern T-90S/SK. T-54/T-55s began appearing in Southern Africa in the late 1970s, when many emerging Marxist states, particularly Angola and Mozambique, were bolstered with modern Soviet military hardware. The T-55's dependability and ruggedness proved well-suited"
"Tết Tết ( or ), or Vietnamese New Year, is the most important celebration in Vietnamese culture. The word is a shortened form of Tết Nguyên Đán(節元旦), which is Sino-Vietnamese for ""Feast of the First Morning of the First Day"". Tết celebrates the arrival of spring based on the Vietnamese calendar, which usually has the date falling in January or February in the Gregorian calendar. Vietnamese people celebrate the Lunar New Year annually, which is based on a lunisolar calendar (calculating both the earth's movement around the sun and the moon around the earth). Tết is generally celebrated on the"
"graves of their family as a sign of respect. Although Tết is a national holiday among all Vietnamese, each region and religion has its own customs. Tết in the three Vietnamese regions can be divided into three periods, known as ""Tất Niên"" (penultimate New Year's Eve), ""Giao Thừa"" (New Year's Eve), and ""Tân Niên"" (the New Year), representing the preparation before Tết, the eve of Tết, and the days of and following Tết, respectively. The first day of Tết is reserved for the nuclear family. Children receive a red envelope containing money from their elders. This tradition is called ""mừng"
"the household. Sweeping during Tết is taboo or ""xui"" (unlucky), since it symbolizes sweeping the luck away; that is why they clean before the new year. It is also taboo for anyone who experienced a recent loss of a family member to visit anyone else during Tết. During subsequent days, people visit relatives and friends. Traditionally but not strictly, the second day of Tết is usually reserved for friends, while the third day is for teachers, who command respect in Vietnam. Local Buddhist temples are popular spots as people like to give donations and to get their fortunes told during"
"tuổi"" (happy new age) in the north and ""lì xì"" in the south. Usually, children wear their new clothes and give their elders the traditional Tết greetings before receiving the money. Since the Vietnamese believe that the first visitor a family receives in the year determines their fortune for the entire year, people never enter any house on the first day without being invited first. The act of being the first person to enter a house on Tết is called ""xông đất"", ""xông nhà"" or ""đạp đất"", which is one of the most important rituals during Tết. According to Vietnamese"
"in its celebration. Some of the food is also eaten year-round, while other dishes are only eaten during Tết. Also, some of the food is vegetarian since it is believed to be good luck to eat vegetarian on Tết. Some traditional foods on Tết are: People enjoy traditional games during Tết, including: ""bầu cua cá cọp"", ""cờ tướng"", ""ném còn"", ""chọi trâu"", and ""đá gà"". They also participate in some competitions presenting their knowledge, strength, and aestheticism, such as the bird competition and ""ngâm thơ"" competition. Fireworks displays have also become an traditional part of a Tết celebration in Vietnam."
"new year (""xông nhà""), ancestor worship, wishing New Year's greetings, giving lucky money to children and elderly people, and opening a shop. Tết is also an occasion for pilgrims and family reunions. They start forgetting about the troubles of the past year and hope for a better upcoming year. They consider Tết to be the first day of spring, and the festival is often called ""Hội xuân ""(spring festival). Vietnamese people usually return to their families during Tết. Some return to worship at the family altar or visit the graves of their ancestors in their homeland. They also clean the"
"same day as Chinese New Year, except when the one-hour time difference between Vietnam and China results in new moon occurring on different days. It takes place from the first day of the first month of the Vietnamese calendar (around late January or early February) until at least the third day. Many Vietnamese prepare for Tết by cooking special holiday food and cleaning the house. These foods include ""bánh chưng, bánh dày,"" dried young bamboo soup (""canh măng""), ""giò"", and sticky rice. Many customs are practiced during Tết, such as visiting a person's house on the first day of the"
"During the New Year's Eve, fireworks displays at major cities, such as Hà Nội, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang, are broadcast through multiple national and local TV channels, accompanied by New Year wishes of the incumbent president. In 2017, fireworks display has been banned due to political and financial reasons. ""Gặp nhau cuối năm"" (""Year-end Gathering"") is a national favourite comedy show broadcast during the night before the New Year's Eve. From 1996 to 2067. Tết Tết ( or ), or Vietnamese New Year, is the most important celebration in Vietnamese culture. The word is a shortened form"
"exchange for Tết greetings. It is also tradition to pay off your debts before the Lunar New Year for some Vietnamese families. Traditionally, each family displays ""cây nêu"", an artificial New Year tree consisting of a bamboo pole 5 to 6 m long. The top end is usually decorated with many objects, depending on the locality, including good luck charms, origami fish, cactus branches, etc. At Tết, every house is usually decorated by Yellow Apricot blossoms (""hoa mai"") in the central and southern parts of Vietnam; or peach blossoms (""hoa đào"") in the northern part of Vietnam; or St. John's"
"Tết Đoan Ngọ Tết Đoan Ngọ is the Vietnamese version of Chinese Duanwu festival (literally: Tết: festival, Đoan: the start/straight/middle/righteousness/just, Ngọ: at noon (from 11 am to 1 pm). Đoan Ngọ is the moment that the sun is the most near the earth and this day often is ""The middle day of summer"" (Hạ chí). In Vietnam, this day is also the death anniversary of National Mother Âu Cơ. Compare to Cantonese Chinese term ""dyun eng"" (which is duan wu in Mandarin Chinese) ngo/eng/wu all refer to the ancient Chinese calendar term: the seventh of the twelve Earthly Branches, which"
"Among the traditional holidays, the two most important and widely celebrated are the Lunar new year (Tết), followed by the Mid-autumn lantern festival (Tết Trung Thu), although the latter has been losing ground in recent years. Vietnam has a number of UNESCO-listed World Heritage Sites, as well as cultural relics deemed as intangible heritage. These are split into specific categories: There are a number of other potential world heritage sites, as well as intangible cultural heritage which Vietnam has completed documents on for UNESCO's recognition in the future. Culture of Vietnam The culture of Vietnam () originated from an ancient"
"in southern Vietnam and paperwhites (""thủy tiên"") and pansies (""hoa lan"") in northern Vietnam. In the past was a tradition where people tried to make their paperwhites bloom on the day of the observance. They also hung up Dong Ho paintings and ""thư pháp"" calligraphy pictures. The traditional greetings are """"Chúc Mừng Năm Mới"""" (Happy New Year) and """"Cung Chúc Tân Xuân"""", (gracious wishes of the new spring). People also wish each other prosperity and luck. Common wishes for Tết include: In Vietnamese language, to celebrate Tết is to ""ăn Tết"", literally meaning ""eat Tết"", showing the importance of food"
"is Festival of Delicious Fruit celebrated in Chợ Lách, Bến Tre Province with activities: fruit competition, fruit arrangement competition and fruit crop competition. At this time, there is also Festival of Southern Fruit celebrated in Suối Tiên amusement park, Ho Chi Minh city. Tết Đoan Ngọ Tết Đoan Ngọ is the Vietnamese version of Chinese Duanwu festival (literally: Tết: festival, Đoan: the start/straight/middle/righteousness/just, Ngọ: at noon (from 11 am to 1 pm). Đoan Ngọ is the moment that the sun is the most near the earth and this day often is ""The middle day of summer"" (Hạ chí). In Vietnam,"
"Ông Táo Ông Táo also known as Mandarin Tao (Táo quân, 灶君) or the Kitchen God is regarded in Vietnamese culture as the advocate of the Vietnamese family with the gods and the emissary between heaven to earth. In Vietnamese culture, the Vietnamese New Year (Tết) is a time to make a new start. Children get red envelopes with money inside, known as ""lỳ-xì"" in Vietnamese, as gifts for good luck in the coming. Vietnamese families prepare their houses for the coming of a prosperous new year by cleaning up and polishing their silver. It is during this cultural event"
"Since the beginning of the month is determined by the new moon occurs, other countries using this calendar use their own time standards to calculate it; this results in deviations. The first new moon in 1968 was at 16:29 UTC on January 29. Since North Vietnam used to calculate their Vietnamese calendar and South Vietnam used (Beijing time) to calculate theirs, North Vietnam began the Tết holiday at 29 January at 23:29 and South Vietnam began it on 30 January at 00:15. The time difference allowed asynchronous attacks in the Tet Offensive. The solar year (), the time between winter"
"pots of soup or a hot pot. A basic feast (cỗ một tầng) consists of 10 dishes: five in bowls (năm bát): bóng (fried fish belly), miến (cellophane noodles), măng (bamboo shoot), mọc (meatball), chim or gà tần (bird or chicken stew dishes) and five on plates (năm đĩa): giò (Vietnamese sausage), chả, gà or vịt luộc (boiled chicken or duck), nộm (Vietnamese salad) and xào (stir-fried dishes). This kind of feast is traditional and is organised only in northern Vietnam. Other variations are found in central and southern Vietnam. Four dishes essential in the feast of Tết are chả"
"are: Chinese New Year, Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are also observed as public holidays by government agencies in Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Satun Provinces (see below under ). Government offices under the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Education may also observe the Thai Armed Forces Day (18 January) and Teachers' Day (16 January), respectively (see below). Holidays observed by financial institutions (not to be confused with bank holidays in the United Kingdom) are regulated by the Bank of Thailand. These usually differ from government holidays in that banks do not observe the Royal Ploughing Ceremony day (""Phuetchamongkhon"") and"
"but also southern Thailand. Penang's diverse, cosmopolitan society means that there are a great many celebrations and festivities in any given year. The major cultural and religious festivities in the state include, but not limited to, the Chinese New Year, Eid ul-Fitri, Deepavali, Thaipusam, Vaisakhi, Christmas, Vesak Day and Songkran. Expatriates residing in Penang have also introduced a host of other celebrations. Bon Odori is celebrated yearly by the Japanese in George Town, while St. Patrick's Day and Oktoberfest, traditionally celebrated by the Irish and the Germans respectively, have also been gaining popularity amongst the locals. Moreover, Penang hosts several"
"in other Asian countries. In Thailand, a fifteen-day-long annual festival known as ""Sat Thai"" is celebrated between September and October in Thailand especially in southern Thailand, particularly in the province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. Like related festivals and traditions in other parts of Asia, the deceased are believed to come back to earth for fifteen days and people make offerings to them. The festival is known as ""Sat Thai"" to differentiate it from the Chinese Ghost Festival which is known as ""Sat Chin"" in the Thai language. Ghost Festival The Ghost Festival, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, Zhongyuan"
"festival. Often a bamboo pole serves as the ""tree"". ""Hoa đào"" (in Northern) or ""Hoa mai"" (in Southern) and kumquat trees are also decorated and displayed in Vietnamese homes during Tết. In Cantonese, the new year tree is called ""Nin Fa"" (, literally New Year Flower). Bamboo is just one of the new year trees for the Cantonese, the others being mandarin and peach. The mandarin plant is called ""Kat"" (), which is a homophone to , standing for good luck. The peach flower stands for good relationships; love is one of the relationships, so it's also a wish for"
"of plastic ribbon before boiling in a large pot of water. ""Bánh tét"" is a must have traditional food in Vietnamese Lunar New Year. It demonstrates the importance of rice in the Vietnamese culture as well as historical value. During Vietnamese Tết, family members would gather together and enjoy feasting on bánh tét, the central food of this festive Vietnamese holiday to celebrate the coming of spring. The process of making bánh tét is time consuming, but a tradition that many families still practice even in this modern society where pre-made ""bánh tét"" are sold virtually in every Vietnamese store."
"was a component for determining time based on a series of 60 years (just as today we refer to 100 year periods as centuries).) Ngo/eng/wu refers to the sun at noon. Rượu nếp, a sticky rice wine, is traditionally eaten on this holiday. ""Bánh tro,"" a kind of bánh lá, is used during this holiday with hard-boiled eggs. ""Bánh tro"" is considered as ""cool"", symbolized yin because it includes vegetable ash water as an ingredient. ""Bánh tro"" is a perfect match with extreme hot day like May 5 in the lunar year. On the occasion of Tết Đoan Ngọ, there"
"this day, rites to worship ancestors are observed early in the morning, and the family visits their ancestors' tombs to tidy up. The custom of eating cold food on the day has, however, disappeared. Since this day coincides with Arbor Day, public cemeteries are crowded with visitors planting trees around the tombs of their ancestors. The Vietnamese equivalent Tết Hàn Thực is celebrated in most parts of the country on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month, but only marginally. People cook glutinous rice balls called ""bánh trôi"" but the holiday's origins are largely forgotten, and the fire taboo"
"by several names, including ""정월대만월"", ""정월대보름"", ""상원"", ""원소"", ""원석"" and ""오기일"". In Vietnam, the festival is known by several names, such as ""Rằm Tháng Giêng"", ""Tết Nguyên Tiêu"" or ""Têt Thượng Nguyên"". In the early days, young people were chaperoned in the streets in hopes of finding love. Matchmakers acted busily in hopes of pairing couples. The brightest lanterns were symbolic of good luck and hope. As time has passed, the festival no longer has such implications in most of Mainland China, but it is still commercialized as the Chinese equivalent of Valentine's Day in Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan."
"relatives and family friends. For Bangladeshis Eid Al Fitr is the most awaited public holiday. ""Idul Fitri"" or ""Hari Raya Aidilfitri"" or ""Lebaran"" is a public holiday in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines and Brunei. The customs and rituals of Eid al-Fitr are quite similar across Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, the Philippines, Southern Thailand and Cambodia. Eid is known in Indonesia as ""Hari Raya Idul Fitri"" or more popularly as ""Lebaran"", and is a national holiday. People return to their home town or city (an exodus known as ""mudik"") to celebrate with their families and to ask forgiveness from parents, in-laws,"
"It is the effort that counts and many choose to spend time with their family to create the holiday treat the traditional way. The process of making bánh tét is to provide an opportunity for family members to bond and come together to celebrate the holiday spirit. The cake is eaten during the Vietnamese Lunar New Year holiday, dipped in fish sauce with or without chilli, and can be eaten together with pickled scallions. The cake can also be fried. ""Bánh tét"" are traditional to and most popular in central and southern Vietnam. A similar food (though rectangular in shape)"
"the water activity value a of about 0.95 and its pH is approximately 6.4. Bánh chưng is always considered an essential element of a traditional Tết, which is described by a popular couplet: Women wear áo dài for their tradition.Traditionally, bánh chưng requires a preparation of many ingredients, each Vietnamese family which can afford such a preparation begins to make the cake from the 27th or 28th day of the December (tháng Chạp) in Lunar calendar. In making bánh chưng, all members of the family gather with different tasks, from washing the lá dong, mixing the pork with spices, preparing"
"Songkran (Thailand) Songkran (, ; ; ; ) is the Thai New Year's national holiday. Songkran is 13 April every year, but the holiday period extends from 14–15 April. In 2018 the Thai cabinet extended the festival nationwide to five days, 12–16 April, to enable citizens to travel home for the holiday. The word ""Songkran"" comes from the Sanskrit word """" (Devanāgarī: संक्रांति), literally ""astrological passage"", meaning transformation or change. The term was borrowed from ""Makar Sankranti"", the name of a Hindu harvest festival celebrated in India in January to mark the arrival of spring. It coincides with the rising"
"water over Buddha statues to symbolise the beginning of a fresh start in life. In Thailand, Buddha's birthday is celebrated as ""Visakha Puja"" and is a public holiday. People gather at temples to hear sermons, give donations and chant prayers. Buddha's birthday is celebrated throughout Vietnam. Many Buddhist temples hold celebrations that attract people from around the country and pagodas around the country are decorated. From 1958 to 1975, ""Lễ Phật Đản"", the birthday of Buddha (on the 8th day of the 4th month in the Chinese lunar calendar) was recognized as a national public holiday in South Vietnam, enjoyed"
"of missing (then eighty) thus included some people whose bodies had been identified by relatives or friends, but not yet by the authorities. Thailand has been a Norwegian tourist destination of great popularity for many years. In recent years, more and more Norwegians have also started to celebrate Christmas in the warmth of the south Asian weather, instead of celebrating at home, where the weather can be rough, with temperatures far below zero degrees Celsius as well as snow. In light of these facts, the impact of the catastrophe has a large psychological and personal impact on the small nation."
"country as New Year trees. Since then, the custom of setting up a tree for the New Year is a traditional event in Turkey. It is usually put up between the beginning of December and the end of January, the mid date being New Year's Eve. Also, the habit of giving presents at Christmas was changed to the giving of New Year presents. The New Year tree can be considered an example of westernised Turkish culture or Turkified European culture. Planting a New Year tree or cây nêu is also a Vietnamese custom that is part of the springtime Tết"
"Labour Day on 1 May, the anniversary of the August Revolution on 19 August, Viet Nam's National Day on 2 September, and Ho Chi Minh's birthday on 19 May. The lunar new year, Tết Nguyên Đán and the mid-autumn moon, Tết Trung Thu, continued to be observed as traditionally. The list of full public holidays in Vietnam has been revised since 2007 but National Day, 2 September, remains a full public and bank holiday. National Day (Vietnam) National Day () is a national holiday in Vietnam observed on 2 September, commemorating President Hồ Chí Minh reading the Declarations of independence"