Báo cáo thực tập tốt nghiệp tiếng anh (27)

New Year Day in UK and VietNam: The similarities and differences “Happy New Year! " That greeting will be said and heard for at least the first couple of weeks as a new year gets under way We all look forward to New Year and wish new success and wealth In each part of the world, there is typical customs, activities to welcome New Year But for me, in England and Vietnam, the ways people welcome New Year are shared and have many similarities and differences According to the scholar and anthropologist of the 18th century, Mr Edward B Taylor, " Culture is a complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society" For this definition, "Happy New Year" is a factor in many deep layers of culture Many elements of culture can be shared and become universal in the world Actually, for today’ global organization and open economy, it is simple and obvious truth that cross-cultural is critical In this part and that part of the globe, we can meet the same customs, belief or habit They can be alike or adjusted to be suitable for the conditions of economy and policy That is true with "Happy New Year" custom in UK and Vietnam There are many similar customs but in each, they have some changes To begin with, we should have some understanding about ancient new years The celebration of the New Year is the oldest of all holidays It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago In the years around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon after the first day of spring According to the ancestors, the beginning of spring is a logical time to start a new year After all, it is the season of rebirth, of planting new crops, and of blossoming January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance It is purely arbitrary Although the geographical region is different, both England and Vietnam share some New Year traditions First of all, both look forward to New Year with the new hopes, new success Some they did not achieve in the previous year can be achieved in the New Year Each person welcomes New Year with their own resolutions Therefore, everyone in New Year ‘Day, always wear a new dress on and if its pockets contain money of every description they will be certain not to be empty through the year Lê Thị Dung K47A1 - English New Year Day in UK and VietNam: The similarities and differences Second, on the week before New Year ‘ day people in both countries often decorate their houses Every member of family has their own duties Dad repaints the wall Mum washes certain Children rearrange their bedrooms Restaurants are busier these days It seems that people want their fridge full of food This is a tradition from ancient time On the New Year’ day, people play more, so eat more “A good beginning makes a good ending”, that as the first day is so will the rest be If you would have plenty to eat during the year, dine lavishly on New Year’ Day, if you would be rich, see that your pocket are not empty at this critical season, if you would be lucky avoid like poison at this of all times everything of ill omen Third, this is also a day for visiting relatives, friends and neighbors People behave gentler One new Year is coming, it means they have another things to , to share They realize that life is full of happiness One more incredible thing is that England is the only country has tradition of “first footing” on New Year’ Day like Vietnam For both countries, the person who first comes into the house in the right midnight will be the person who brings to family lucky, wealth and success in the next year The “first footer” must be a male who is handsome, easy-going, respected by many other persons like bachelor or a master of village Besides, the “first footer” must not be a woman As woman is a thing at once weak and magical, to be oppressed Her duties are taking care of children which denied to man, powers only half understood, forces of attraction, but also of danger and repulsion, forces that all over the world seem to fill him dim terror The attitude of man to woman and vice versa is still today essentially magical For them, unlucky first footers include thieves, a grave digger, someone born with a handicap, a flat footed person and someone whose eyebrows meet in the middle This may seem politically incorrect but these hark back to the days before B.C and are written here for historic interest In addition, a new year coming brings people a new age, people feel that they get older, get more knowledge And thus, they wish each other for getting a new age People in UK also have a custom of avoiding sweeping their houses like in Vietnam They say that if they sweep their houses, they will sweep away luck and wealth Lê Thị Dung K47A1 - English New Year Day in UK and VietNam: The similarities and differences England avoid sweeping their houses like Chinese and Vietnam Such similarities are so interesting Two countries in two different continents share the same customs since the ancient time We can be proud of our old culture However, each country still has their own characteristics which make them unique in the world New Year is the much awaited celebration for the people of UK They love to enjoy each and every minute of the going year There is a very old custom of “First-footing” still followed in Britain with sincerity It is much like in Vietnam but different in some ways A blonde, a red haired or a woman is not allowed to enter the house first as they are supposed to bring bad luck The male visitor usually to bring bread and coal as these are considered auspicious gifts It is believed by the populaces an England that the midnight of December 31st, the first footer steps over the threshold The first footer is required to a few things that he brings along with him without speaking to anyone or vice versa before wishing them a Happy New Year like placing the fuel on the fire, putting the loaf on the table and pouring a glass for the head of the house The people in England believe that the first footer enters through the front door and leaves through the back door an New Year In London restaurants, great stress Lê Thị Dung K47A1 - English New Year Day in UK and VietNam: The similarities and differences was laid upon a man’s opening the place on New Year’s morning before the waitresses arrived “First footer” originates in Scotland Surprisingly, in some parts of UK, there are derivations of “first footer” For example, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, a boy called “lucky bird” used to come at dawn on Christmas morning as well as on New Year’s Day and brings a spring of evergreens, an offering by now thoroughly familiar to us In Scotland, especially, in Edinburgh, it is customary for domestic servants to invite their sweethearts to be their “first footer” The old Scotch families who serve ancient customs encourage their servants to be “first foot” and grandparents like their children to perform for the same service In spite of being chosen as “first footer” carefully, sometimes, some household still meet unlucky first footer They are woman and red haired people or a person who fist foot empty handed with no gifts Scottish hospitality means that the unlucky first footer can not be turn away and must come in for some refreshments Some households overcome this bad luck by asking the person to throw salt on an open fire if they have one or placing a piece of burning straw up the chimney Roman Catholics will cross themselves if an unlucky first footer Lª ThÞ Dung K47A1 - English New Year Day in UK and VietNam: The similarities and differences arrives at their house Others make a cross from Rowan twigs and place this at their front door If an unlucky first footer arrives they touch this twig cross three times saying the name of their God each time before the first footer speaks This might sound daft in modern times but Scots have always been superstitious and not want to suffer 12 months bad luck until the next first footer arrives yellow and red haired person not chosen as first footer In contrast, the tradition of first footer on TET holidays of Vietnamese originates in the Buddhism Vietnamese people very much appreciate the rituals They have habits of abstaining from bad things in life, especially in Tet holidays, in the first and the fifth days of the lunar year Therefore, the first caller of the New Year must be carefully considered according to the rules people has made The New Year's first-footers come after the New Year's Eve After worshipping in that night, everybody often go to a pagoda to pick buds or young leaves and visit others to wish them a happy New Year The first comer to any house is called "the New Year's first-footer” In the old days, people thought that a lucky or a bad New Year was due to the first-footer Therefore, all families often choose a person with "good spirit" to be the first-footer He will make the New Year happy, lucky and successful They often choose a young person who is moral, of good will, good looking to be the first-footer That means they don't have to ask another good guy to They can avoid some inconvenient and Lê Thị Dung K47A1 - English New Year Day in UK and VietNam: The similarities and differences unlucky things May happen The first-footer picked among the family members will leave home in the time of the old year and go home after the New Year's Eve with buds or young leaves in hands In some instances, any person with the names such as Phuc (Happy), Tai(Wealth), Loc(luck) will be invited to perform this act of “xong dat” Surely, just to safe, the owner of the house will leave the house a few minutes before midnight and come back just as the clock strikes midnight to prevent any one else entering the house first who might potentially bring any unfortunate events in the new year to the household That is also why Vietnamese people usually avoid being the first-footer for others if they didn't have a last lucky year Many families are afraid of someone who is lazy and not good moral to be the first comer of their family to sum up, each country has their own opinion about the first footer, which depends on their religion, Buddhism or Christian Another difference is time of New Year’s Day In UK, New Year’s Day has not been always on first January In Anglo-Saxon, England, the year started on Christmas Day – 25th December It has various times, 1st March, 24th September and 25th March By 1560, most countries had changed and started the year on 1st January Scotland carried at this stage in 1600 In England and Wales an Act of Parliament was needed to effect the changes from 1st January 1752 In Vietnam, the first morning of the year in Vietnamese language and the name Tết Nguyên Đán is Sino-Vietnamese for Feast of the First Morning, derived from the Hán nôm characters “Nguyen Dan” begins on the first day of the 1st lunar month and lasts foe seven days It marks the arrival of spring and is the greatest celebrating time as the festival brings along a few breaks in the agricultural year Vietnamese New Year falls between the period of harvesting of crops and the sowing of the crops The New Year is the time for resting, relaxing and gathering So there are many activities and customs to celebrate it The New Year in England can hardly be called a popular festival; there is no public holiday and the occasion is more associated with penitential Watch Night services and good resolutions than with rejoicing But let the reader, if he be in London, pay a visit to Soho at this time, and he will get some idea of what the New Year means to the foreigner The little restaurants are decorated with gay festoons of all colors and thronged with Lê Thị Dung K47A1 - English New Year Day in UK and VietNam: The similarities and differences merrymakers, the shop-windows are crowded with all manner of recherché delicacies; it is the gala season of the year At the stroke of midnight, one need hardly allude to the gathering of London, Scots around St.Paul’s to hear the midnight chine and welcome the New Year with the strains of “ Auld Lang Syne” People spend their time cheering, hooting, whistling, kissing and drinking Besides, they make some loud noises by bursting firecrackers, blowing horns, trumpets, whistles and bells to ring in the fresh New Year Drinking was and is a great feature of the Scottish New Year’s Eve, on the approach of 12 o’clock, a hot pint is prepared-that is a kettle full of warm, spiced and sweetened ale with an impression of spirits when the clock had struck the knell of the departed year, each member and many of them to all the rest, with a general hand-shaking The elders of the family would then sally out visit their neighbors and exchange greetings And the most interesting of Scottish New Year customs, considered as religious survivals, is a practice found in the Highlands on New Year's Eve, and evidently of sacrificial origin It has been described by several writers, and has various forms According to one account the hide of the mart or winter cow was wrapped round the head of one of a company of men, who all made off belaboring the hide with switches The disorderly procession went three times deiseal (according to the course of the sun) round each house in the village, striking the walls and shouting on coming to a door a rhyme demanding admission On entering, each member of the party was offered refreshments, and their leader gave to the Goodman of the house the “breast-stripe” of a sheep, deer, or goat, wrapped round the point of a shinny stick At Biggar in Lanarkshire it was customary to “burn out the old year” with bonfires, while at Burghead in Morayshire a tar-barrel called the “Clavie” was set on fire and carried about the village and the fishing boats Its embers were scrambled for by the people and carefully kept as charms against witchcraft These fire-customs may be compared with those on Halloween, which, as we have seen, is probably an old New Year's Eve For the poorer children, there is a custom to swaddle them in a great sheet, doubled up in front so as to form a vast pocket, and then go along the streets in Lê Thị Dung K47A1 - English New Year Day in UK and VietNam: The similarities and differences little bands, calling out “Hogmanay” at the doors of the wealthier classes, and expecting a dole of oaten bread Each child gets a quadrant of oat-cake (sometimes with cheese), and this is called the “Hogmanay.” Here is one of the rhymes they sing: “Get up, goodwife, and shake your feathers, And dinna think that we are beggars; For we are bairns come out to play, Get up and gie's our hogmanay!” Apart from parties and meals, another important part of New Year celebration in UK is the biggest parade The parade starts at noon walking down the streets via white hall, Pall Mall and finishing in Berkley Square Musicians, dancers, acrobats, march, drums and other entertainers a splendid job to make the events most distinguished one Every one present at the Berkley is openly invited to join the carnival and enjoy the festival occasion Unlike UK, Vietnam is an agricultural country; their life is connected with each other by spirits Vietnam has a long period history As for Vietnamese, TET is a special holiday When people stop working, return their hometown and also a chance for young generation to worship ancestor There is a proverb saying that:” Trees have roots, water has a source, when drinking from the spring one must remember the source” There are a lot of customs relating to this special holiday First, during the week before Tet, some families visit the graves of parents and grandparents Fresh earth is placed on top, weeds it and incense is burnt to invoke the souls of the dead from the other world to return to visit the family home Next, on 23 rd December, a farewell and thank you dinner is given to the Kitchen God by the house hold The Kitchen God will need a week for his mission to Heaven in order to make his report to the Jade Emperor This report includes the year’s activities of the household in which he has lived The paper carps, horses and clothing (hats, robes and boots) will be burned by the family and thus transformed into a spiritual essence usable by Ong Tao in the world beyond The day of his departure is marked by the calls of fishmongers from the Lê Thị Dung K47A1 - English New Year Day in UK and VietNam: The similarities and differences countryside carrying baskets of fish hanging from their shoulder poles and calling "Fish for sale, fine mounts for the Household Gods to make their ride!" Live fish held in tanks of water and plastic bags are released into ponds, lakes, rivers and streams to impress the god with the kindness of the household In Hanoi, the Sword Lake is a favorite spot for releasing Ong Tao's fish-vehicle In some cases, three fish are released to account for the possibility that one must please all three Hearth Gods After the Kitchen God has left, preparations for the New Year festivities begin in earnest The week before New Year's Eve is a period of Tat Nien Tat Nien (literally meaning the end or 'to extinguish the year') is the celebration of the last session of a period, such as the last class of school, the last bus home, the last day in the office, even the last bath, all with parties and great ceremony There is a festive holiday atmosphere before New Year's Eve with dragon or Lion dances The Lion is the symbol of power and prosperity Their dances, accompanied by firecrackers, frighten away bad spirits Wealthy families used to set prize money and invite the Lion Dance team to come and dance in front of their house or store “The Lion Dance” In addition, some families set up a Tet tree in the week before New Year's Eve The Tet tree called cay neu, is a bamboo pole stripped of most of its leaves except for a bunch at the very top The Tet tree has Taoist origins and holds talismanic objects that clang in the breeze to attract good spirits and repel evil Lê Thị Dung K47A1 - English New Year Day in UK and VietNam: The similarities and differences ones On the very top, they frequently place a paper symbol of yin and yang, the two principal forces of the universe Sometimes a colorful paper carp flag will fly from the top The carp (or sometimes a horse) is the vehicle on which the Hearth God travels to make his report This tree is more common in the countryside now than in the city It is ceremonially removed after the seventh day of Tet Sweeping and scrubbing is done in advance as tradition discourages cleaning during the holiday itself During this time, shops and restaurants close while the cleaning spree proceeds in earnest On hands and knees, the floors will be scrubbed; bronze will be polished to a brand new finish Closets will be ransacked for old clothes to be tossed out Shoppers swarm the streets at temporary Tet stalls that have sprung up, lit with tiny gaily-flashing lights Everything needed for the celebration from food to decorations is at hand and in abundance at these Tet markets At Tet, every house is usually decorated by hoa mai – Ochna integerrima (in the central and southern parts of Vietnam) or hoa đào – peach flower (in the northern part of Vietnam) or hoa ban (in the mountain areas) In the north, some people (especially the elites in the past) also decorate their house with fume tree (mai in Vietnamese, but a totally different species than ochna integerrima) In the north, a kumquat tree is a popular decoration for the living room during Tết Its many fruits symbolize the fertility and fruitfulness that the family hopes will come in the coming year “A kumquat tree is a popular decoration for the living room during Tết” Vietnamese people also decorate their homes with bonsai and flower trees such as hoa cúc, vạn thọ meaning great age, mào gà in Southern Vietnam and paperwhite flower(thủy tiên), lavender (viôlét), hoa bướm in Northern Vietnam Lê Thị Dung K47A1 - English 10 New Year Day in UK and VietNam: The similarities and differences In the past, there was a tradition that old people try to make their paper white flowers blossom right the watch-night time They also hang up Dong Ho Paintings and thư pháp (calligraphy pictures) Also they have a family altar to pay respect to their ancestors During Tet, the altar is thoroughly cleaned and new offerings are placed here They often placed the "five-fruit tray" On the ancestral altar, it symbolizes the admiration and gratitude of the Vietnamese to Heaven and Earth and their ancestors, and demonstrates their aspiration for a life of plenty Legend said about of theories but in a simpler way, the five fruits represent the quintessence that Heaven and Earth bless humans This is one of the general perceptions of life of the Vietnamese, which is "When taking fruit, you should think of the grower" Visitors coming to Vietnam during the season of the Tet festival, the visitor are engulfed in an ocean of colorful flowers Visiting flower shows, contemplating the buds and blooms, and purchasing blossoms represents one of the distinct Vietnamese cultural characteristics Lunar New Year (Tet) in Vietnam has become an important event of the locals Everyone is in a rush to get a haircut, buy new clothes, spruce up their homes, visit friends, settle outstanding debts, and stock up on traditional Tet delicacies Businesses hang festive red banners which read "Chuc Mung Nam Moi" (Happy New Year) and city streets are festooned With colored lights Stalls spring up all over town to sell mut (candied fruits and jams), traditional cakes, and fresh fruit and flowers The "five-fruit tray" Lê Thị Dung K47A1 - English 11 New Year Day in UK and VietNam: The similarities and differences Certain markets sell nothing but cone-shaped kumquat bushes Others sell flowering peach trees, symbols of life and good fortune which people bring into their homes to celebrate the coming of spring As vendors pour into the City with peach trees strapped to their bicycles, the streets look like moving pink forests A long lasting Viet custom is giving Tet offerings to relatives Annually, on the days near Tet holiday, people, especially young generation tend to eagerly prepare the gifts sending to relatives as their offerings to the ancestors Tet gifts are often things used as offering such as incense, fake gold, betel and areca, and wine There are differences among gifts, which depend on the relationship and each person economic condition Another interesting custom is that on Tet holiday, scholars initiated their new brushes and paper with a small ceremony with the wearing of new clothes (khai but) This also requires an auspicious hour The theme of the proverb or poem is considered carefully and newly purchased hog- grade paper Chúc Xuân / Khai Bút Ngày Xuân In the countryside, there are rituals to enliven the land out of its winter’s rest The Rites of Dong Tho activate the soil to bring it alive from sacred rest When there was a king in Vietnam, he symbolically initiated the harmony of the first furrow of the planting season in a royal life With more than 1000 years of history, certainly, Vietnam has many traditional customs From North to South, we can enjoy many activities which make our country unique in the world Lê Thị Dung K47A1 - English 12 New Year Day in UK and VietNam: The similarities and differences On New Year’s Day, we often hear some typical greetings In UK, That is “Happy New Year!” On the other hand, in Vietnam, the most common greeting is “chuc mung nam moi” or “ cung chuc tan xuan” People also wish each other prosperity and luck Common wishes for Tết include: “Sống lâu trăm tuổi” (Live up to 100 years): used by children for elders Traditionally, everyone is one year older on Tết, so children would wish their grandparents health and longevity in exchange for mừng tuổi or lì xì “An khang thịnh vượng” (Security, good health, and prosperity) “Vạn ý” (May a myriad things go according to your will) “Sức khoẻ dồi “(Plenty of health) “Cung hỉ phát tài”, from the Cantonese Gung hay fat choy (Congratulations and be prosperous) “Tiền vô nước” (May money flow in like water): used informally One factor that we can not forget is food On New Year ’s Day, people always look forward to wealth, prosperity, they not want to be hungry or lack of anything So for the week before New Year’s Day, people in UK and Vietnam often buy all things in the store In UK, People often eat black-eyed Pea "Coins" Meant Wealth black-eyed peas have long been a New Years Eve staple The shape and abundance of the legumes was compared to coins; eating the ‘coins’ symbolized gaining wealth Southerners also considered pigs to be lucky, and usually ate ham with the peas, or hog jowls if the previous year had been unlucky Meanwhile, in Vietnam we have traditional foods on Tet Bánh chưng and bánh dầy: essentially tightly packed sticky rice with meat or bean fillings wrapped in banana leaves Bánh chưng (rectangular) and bánh giầy (circular) are symbolically connected with Tết and are essential in any Tết celebration Preparation is time-consuming, and can take days to cook The story of their origins and their connection with Tết is often recounted to children while cooking them overnight Hạt Dưa: roasted watermelon seeds, also eaten during Tết Dưa Hành": picked onion and picked cabbage C Kiu: pickled small leeks Lê Thị Dung K47A1 - English 13 New Year Day in UK and VietNam: The similarities and differences Mứt: These dried candied fruits are rarely eaten at any time besides Tết Cầu Dừa Đủ Xoài - In southern Vietnam, popular fruits used for offerings at the family altar in fruit arranging art are the custard-apple/sugar-apple/soursop (mãng cầu), coconut (dừa), papaya (đu đủ), and mango (xoài), since they sound like "cầu vừa đủ xài" Last but not least, there are some Dos and Don’ts that people should follow In UK, to assure good luck for the New Year, firstly, one should sleep with a horseshoe under his pillow on New Year’s Eve Second, all doors and windows must be opened at midnight to let out the old year Keep doors and windows open at midnight to let the old year leave and usher in the fresh New Year Third, make lots of noise to scare away the evil spirits lurking around People celebrate by bursting loud crackers to scare away the devils Evil spirits hate loud noise and hence people explode fireworks and cheer aloud to send the evil spirits away This is also the reason that church bells are rung at midnight, to ring in the New Year free from evil spirits Fourth It is believed that if you wear new clothes on the first day of the year, you will get many more new clothes during the year And remember not to break anything on this day as it sets the pattern for the entire year Breaking things on this day is considered a bad omen as it signals destruction in the coming year So be careful! Crying on the first day of the year must be avoided One must always be happy and in good spirits on New Year’s day If you cry on New Years’ for a sad reason you will have sadness all throughout the year Vietnamese people also have some Dos and Don’ts First, one should give people lucky presents to enhance the relationship between themselves and others: new clothes, peach branches (for expelling evil), cocks (wishing for good manners), new rice (wishing for being well-fed), rice wine in a gourd (wishing for a rich and comfortable life), bánh chưng (or bánh tét) and bánh dày which symbolize sky and earth (for worshipping the ancestors), red things (red symbolizes happiness, luckiness, advantages) like watermelon, dogs (the bark – gâu gâu – sounds like the word giàu - richness in Lê Thị Dung K47A1 - English 14 New Year Day in UK and VietNam: The similarities and differences Vietnamese language), medicated oil (dầu in Vietnamese, also sounds similar to giàu) Second, one should give lucky Dong Ho Paintings such as: "Gà đàn" (wishing for having many children), or "Vinh hoa", but should not give unlucky Dong Ho paintings like "Đánh ghen" related to legal proceedings Third, one should buy a lot of water for Tết, because people wish for money to flow like water currents in a stream (proverb: "Tiền vô nước") Fourth, one should sprinkle lime powder around the house to expel evil Last, one should return all things borrowed, and pay debts before Tết And remember that one shouldn't say or bad things during Tết Second one shouldn't hurt or kill animals or plants but should set them free The reason for this originates from Buddhism's causality Third, one shouldn't sweep the house or empty out the rubbish to avoid luck and benefits going it, especially on the first day of the new year One shouldn't let the broom in confusion if people don't want it to be stolen Fourth,one shouldn't give these presents to others: clock or watch (the recipient's time is going to pass), cats (mèo in Vietnamese language pronounced like nghèo, poverty), medicine (the receiver will get ill), cattle fish (its ink is black, an unlucky color), writing ink (for the same reason), scissors or knives (they bring incompatibleness) Fifth, one shouldn't have duck meat because it brings unluckiness Sixth, one shouldn't have shrimp because they're afraid that they would move back like shrimp, in other words, they would not succeed Seventh, one shouldn't buy or wear white clothes because white is the colour of funerals in Vietnam Eighth, one shouldn't let the rice-hulling mill empty because it sympolizes failed crops Ninth, one shouldn't refuse anything others give or wish you during Tết To sum up, each country with its own religion and economy has its own New Year’s Day To discover the deep layers of culture, we will find many things interesting that we did not notice before For example, something you Lê Thị Dung K47A1 - English 15 New Year Day in UK and VietNam: The similarities and differences should and should not on New Year’s Day, some typical foods and customs to celebrate New Year’s Day Even though two countries share “Happy new age”(Mung Tuoi),”Do not sweep house”(Khong quet don nha cua), “first footer”(Xong Dat or Dap Dat) There are still many differences about the way people judge the first footer, time,etc These are typical characteristics of a nation in the West and the East UK is a developed country; meanwhile, Vietnam is a developing country The system of economy influences the way s people celebrate New Year’s Day How interesting it is to have a deep understanding about it Lê Thị Dung K47A1 - English 16